BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Scarlett Billingsley, the mother of Jason Billingsley, who is wanted for the murder of a talented top Baltimore tech CEO, said she texted her son on Tuesday and told him to turn himself in.
She said she fears for his life and does not want the police to shoot him, reports NBC News.
Scarlett Billingsley fears Jason Billingsley may get shot
“I told him to turn himself in because they’re going to kill him,” Scarlett Billingsley, 72, told NBC News on Wednesday.
She said she is the mother of Jason Billingsley, 32, who is accused of killing Pava LaPere, 26, the CEO and founder of EcoMap Technologies.
“I don’t want police to shoot him because they think he has a gun,” she added.
Did murder suspect Jason Billingsley visit his mother after the alleged killing?
Scarlett said she last saw her son on Monday when he visited her home briefly.
She said he showed her a gun, but she believed he was trying to sell it. She said she did not know if he knew LaPere or how he met her.
“I don’t even know how he met that girl, where he met that girl, or how he got into her apartment.”
LaPere’s body was found with signs of “blunt-force trauma” at an apartment on Monday morning.
The cause of death has not been determined yet.
Who was Pava LaPere?
LaPere was the founder and CEO of EcoMap Technologies, a company that helps entrepreneurs find resources and funding.
She was described as a “beloved” member of her community by her friends and colleagues. LaPere was also selected for a Forbes 30 Under 30 young entrepreneur of class 2023 due to her exceptional skills.
Scarlett Billingsley said she feels sorry for the pain that LaPere’s family is going through. “I am so sorry for what that mother is going through,” she said. “I’m very sorry if he did it.”
She said she would not believe that her son was guilty until she saw some evidence. “Where is the truth at — show me some evidence,” she said.
Jason Billingsley's violent past
Jason Billingsley is a repeat violent offender who should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the police.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2015, with 16 years suspended, after pleading guilty to a first-degree sex offense.
He was released in October 2022 and registered as a “tier 3” sex offender, which requires lifetime registration. Police said he should not have been free.
“This individual will kill, and he will rape,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said on Tuesday, adding, “He will do anything he can to cause harm.”
Jason Billingsley also has previous convictions for first-degree assault in 2009 and second-degree assault in 2011. Police have not revealed a possible motive for LaPere’s murder or if the two knew each other.
Scarlett Billingsley said she is scared because she lost her oldest son to gun violence in 2013 and does not want to lose Jason Billingsley as well. She said, “He’s the only one I got left. He’s my baby boy.”
