Baltimore police and U.S. marshals continued searching on Wednesday for the man suspected of killing Pava LaPere, a 26-year-old tech executive who was found dead at her apartment building on Monday.
A vigil was held in Ms. LaPere’s honor at Baltimore’s Washington Monument on Wednesday evening.
Baltimore acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley on Tuesday said that an arrest warrant had been issued for Jason Billingsley, 32, of Baltimore, for first-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and other unspecified charges.
“We implore residents to be aware of your surroundings at all times. This individual will kill and he will rape,” said Mr. Worley at a news conference on Tuesday. He said Mr. Billingsley was a repeat violent offender believed to be “armed and dangerous.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described Ms. LaPere as a “very young, talented, devoted Baltimorean” at the news conference, saying he had gotten to know her over the years.
Mr. LaPere was celebrated on social media and in local news reports for her entrepreneurial success, which landed her a spot on the 2023 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
LaPere was a college student at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University when she cofounded EcoMap, a service for creating digital platforms that contain information about the resources, organizations, businesses, and people within any given community.
