Father of murdered tech CEO Pava LaPere wants to limit early release credits for violent sex offenders
BALTIMORE -- Frank LaPere believes his daughter Pava LaPere's killing — which police said was at the hands of a repeat, violent offender — was preventable.
He is supporting The Pava Marie LaPere Act. It would limit "good time" credits for those convicted of first-degree rape and the most violent sex offenses.
A draft of the Pava Marie LaPere Act. @wjz pic.twitter.com/prYOopD0cm
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) January 16, 2024
"It means to me that no other family and no other father has to go through the loss that we have experienced," Frank LaPere said at a news conference Monday, flanked by the mayor and Baltimore City state's attorney.
Pava LaPere’s father speaks about his loss. He’s supporting the need to reform good time credits. He says emphatically the suspect in his daughter’s murder should not have been out of prison early. @wjz pic.twitter.com/6Mh5vywlTy
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) January 16, 2024
His daughter was just 26 years old and the CEO of EcoMap Technologies when she was killed at her apartment building in Mount Vernon last September.
As WJZ has reported, the suspect, Jason Billingsley, had a lengthy prior record.
Billingsley pleaded guilty in 2015 to sexual assault and was sentenced to 30 years, but 16 of those years were suspended.
He ended up serving only seven years behind bars and was released in October 2022 after earning good behavior credits.
"Let us work together as a community and as a legislature, and as a judicial system to ensure that Pava Marie LaPere is the very last victim," Frank LaPere told reporters.
Currently, most inmates are eligible to have 20 to 30 days a month shaved off their sentences.
The proposed legislation would still allow inmates convicted of sex offenses early release, but that would have to be approved through the parole commission.
"One time is one too many," said Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates. "We want to make sure we put laws in place that will keep all the citizens protected."
Bates spoke about the emotional impact of LaPere's case. "This is a little different because of Frank to be honest. I have a seven-year-old daughter, and I'll never forget talking to him and seeing his eyes well up. I thought about me being a father. I thought about how I would feel," Bates said.
Police also failed to alert the public Billingsley was the suspect in a rape and arson on Edmondson Avenue just three days before LaPere's murder.
Related: Jason Billingsley, accused in murder of Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere, indicted by grand jury
The mayor said Monday the case prompted changes.
"As I've instructed my police commissioner to do that every time from this point on when there's something like this—when someone like this is released and we know that they have been suspected to commit another crime—the decision of whether we're going public should be made by him," the mayor said.
Delegate Elizabeth Embry, a Baltimore Democrat, told reporters there are between 10 and 15 people convicted of first-degree sex offenses every year who would be impacted by the Pava Marie LaPere Act.
The governor indicated he will support a version of this legislation.
Frank LaPere reminded the public of what is at stake for the families of victims. "A father should kiss his daughter goodnight, not try to cry himself to sleep through avoidable grief," he said.
A draft version of the bill is available here.
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