Slain tech CEO Pava LaPere’s mother testifies for bill preventing good behavior release for violent sex convictions

By CNN

Published February 28, 2024 9:46 AM

WJZ, FAMILY PHOTOS, MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BALTIMORE POLICE, CNN

By Adam Thompson and Caroline Foreback

BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — The mother of murdered Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere returned to Annapolis on Tuesday to testify in support of a bill that would prevent those convicted of violent sex crimes from being released early on good behavior.

Caroline LaPere spoke about her fight to prevent other families from going through the same pain their family has battled.

Pava LaPere was killed in September 2023 in her Mount Vernon apartment building. The 26-year-old was a rising tech CEO in Baltimore where she founded EcoMap Technologies.

Jason Billingsley, the man charged in the murder, had previously been convicted of sexual assault.

In October 2022, he was released from prison early due to good behavior credits.

“If the circumstances had been different, perhaps that man never would have been out and my daughter would still be with us,” Caroline LaPere said. “When he was out, he did more heinous acts, including her death.”

The Pava Marie LaPere Act would do away with the good behavior or diminution credits for people convicted of first-degree rape and most violent sex crimes.

“I think this would be very helpful because it makes for a safer community,” Caroline LaPere said. “If people who aren’t reformed or just aren’t safe enough to be on the streets are off the streets.”

According to the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, “Good conduct credit or ‘good time’ credits are calculated and automatically advanced to a person upon intake: these credits are the incarcerated person’s to lose. Depending on the date the sentence was imposed, whether the sentence is for a crime of violence as defined in Crim. L. § 14-101, or whether a person is statutorily prohibited from earning diminution credits, good conduct credits are awarded at a rate of either 5 or 10 days per month.”

Caroline LaPere also testified for the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act to provide start-up grants to student entrepreneurs in Baltimore, which was one of Pava’s goals.

“Let’s empower them, let’s give them programs so they can learn and make funding available so that they can create good strong communities so they can turn communities into strong communities,” Caroline LaPere said.

Caroline LaPere says she’s motivated by the love she has for her daughter and she will continue fighting for safer communities and uplifting aspiring entrepreneurs.

“I’m bringing about something good, it was a horrific loss,” she said. “Pava had big dreams and she was in the process of fulfilling them. So you don’t want to take a bright light like that and think that it goes away. It doesn’t.”

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