Family, friends describe murdered Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere as a 'visionary ahead of her time'

BALTIMORE - The father of the Baltimore tech CEO says Pava LaPere, who was found murdered Monday morning at a Baltimore apartment, "has been an inspiration to so many people."

LaPere, the 26-year-old co-founder and CEO of EcoMap, was a young and rising leader in the technology industry.

Her father Frank LaPere spoke out on social media about his daughter's death and the impact she left.

"Pava made an impact in every endeavor she undertook and on every life she touched," he said.

Officers responded around 11:30 a.m. on Monday to an apartment building on the 300 block of West Franklin Street in Mount Vernon for a call for service, where LaPere's body was found with signs of blunt-force trauma, police said.  

Baltimore Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said 32-year-old Jason Dean Billingsley, from Baltimore, is wanted for first-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment and additional charges.

LaPere co-founded and leads EcoMap, a company that says it digitizes ecosystems with its proprietary technology.

Aside from her work at EcoMap, she also worked extensively to help other entrepreneurs get started -- all while ensuring everyone had a seat at the table.

"Pava has been an inspiration to so many people," Frank LaPere said. "She was driven, creative, hard-working and relentless in her efforts, with her wonderful team at EcoMap Technologies."

Frank LaPere added that his daughter will be "forever missed as a daughter, sister, grand-daughter, niece, cousin and loyal friend."

Kory Bailey said his friend Pava was a champion at bringing people together.

"Really her mission in life was to bring people together and I miss her," Bailey said.

LaPere's family released a statement saying they "lost a deeply loved daughter, sister and friend who could understand all of us in a way that no other human being could."

"Let us tell you a little bit about our Pava Marie…she made an impact on every person she touched. We have lost a deeply loved daughter, sister and friend who could understand all of us in a way that no other human being could. Pava had a unique vantage into our lives, and an intelligence to understand that each human is unique and irreplaceable."

"In life's darkest moments, Pava's council and reflection gave all of us a perspective, and the will to persevere despite the odds. We remain in complete shock and can barely comprehend Pava's death. It will be in life's quiet moments, after the dust settles, that the full reality of this tragedy will resonate. We should all carry Pava's pragmatic positivity forward."

Whether the Ecomap team, City of Baltimore, or the worldwide entrepreneurial community, the loss is all of ours. Pava dedicated her life, her focus, her talent, and dizzying work ethic to our collective enrichment. After coming to Johns Hopkins University for her education, Pava made Baltimore her home and sought to cultivate her vision for the potential of this home. She loved Baltimore - its people, its potential, its art, its history and architecture. There was no bigger ambassador for all that is great about the city.

"Pava had a penchant for taking charge of a situation and deftly maneuvering people, resources and problems forward, towards better outcomes. She could find possibilities in others, in situations, and in dilemmas that few could. She built a thriving community with her colleagues and friends based on addressing crucial issues and mobilizing everyone. Pava was a visionary ahead of her time."

"We love and miss you, Pava. We find comfort in many loving memories and knowing that the impact you made during your short time here will ripple for generations to come."                                - Pava's family