The defendant pled guilty and was handed down a total of three Life sentences in prison
Baltimore, Md. (August 30, 2024) - Today, State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates was joined by the SAO's Homicide Unit Team Captains, Elizabeth Stock and Tonya LaPolla, along with survivor April Hurley and her attorneys William "Billy" Murphy and Malcolm P. Ruff, as well as the family of Pava Marie LaPere, to announce the sentencing of Jason Billingsley for one count of First-Degree Murder and two counts of Attempted Murder. The defendant was sentenced to two Life sentences to be served concurrently and an additional Life sentence to be served consecutive to the first two.
"This defendant should have never been released into the community following a first-degree sex offense conviction to inflict immense trauma, pain, and sorrow on so many individuals in such a short amount of time," said State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "These cases inspired our legislation to eliminate diminution credits for first-degree sex offenders, and the brave testimonies from Ms. Hurley and the LaPere Family during the plea agreement hearings have reaffirmed my long-standing belief that the needs of victims, above all else, must always guide the actions of the Office of the State's Attorney. I am thankful to ASAs Stock and LaPolla for securing these pleas, ensuring that this defendant is incarcerated for the rest of his life while also protecting the victims and witnesses from the trauma of a trial."
On September 19, 2023, at the 800 block of Edmondson Avenue in the early morning hours, April Hurley was woken up by knocking on her basement apartment door by an individual who identified himself as the maintenance staff. The man, later identified as Jason Billingsley, subsequently kicked in the door and held Ms. Hurley and her male friend, who was also in the apartment at the time, at gunpoint. The defendant restrained the couple using handcuffs and tape and subsequently sexually assaulted Ms. Hurley and slashed her throat with a knife. He then poured an accelerant on the couple and the apartment and set it on fire. The couple suffered second and third-degree burns and were both in serious condition when they were taken to the hospital.
"We sincerely appreciate the swift resolution of this case by the State's Attorney's Office, sparing April the trauma of reliving this horrific situation at trial," said William "Billy" Murphy Jr. and Malcolm P. Ruff, civil rights attorneys representing April Hurley. "April was tortured, raped, had her throat slit, set on fire and left for dead by Jason Billingsley. These unspeakable crimes shocked the Baltimore community and the nation. Unfortunately, it was completely preventable and was enabled by the negligence of Edens Homes and Property Pals. Even though his background as a convicted sex offender should have been discovered, they instead gave him the opportunity to mercilessly violate April."
On September 25, 2023, at around 10:00 a.m., Baltimore Police initially responded to 306 W. Franklin Street to take a call for a missing person. Co-workers of the victim, Pava LaPere, reported that they had last seen her in the area of the Artscape festival around 10:00 p.m. on Friday, September 22, 2023, when they all parted ways and she began to walk home. No one heard from, or spoke with, Ms. LaPere during the rest of the weekend and were alarmed when she did not report for a scheduled work meeting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, September 25. A short time after taking the report, the responding police office was called back to the location for a report of a deceased female found on the roof of 306 W. Franklin Street, later identified as Ms. LaPere. Surveillance footage from Ms. LaPere's apartment building showed her getting up from the couch in the lobby at 10:32 p.m. and letting the defendant in after he waved to her through the glass. The defendant and Ms. LaPere spoke before getting on the next elevator together. At 11:08 p.m., the defendant can be seen scrambling for an exit and wiping his right hand on his shorts. The victim's body was later found on the roof of the building along with a brick. The medical examiner ruled her death as homicide by strangulation and blunt force trauma.
"It has been 342 days since our daughter and sister, Pava Marie LaPere, was murdered. Each one of those days has been extremely painful and difficult to endure. Pava’s death has deeply impacted our family, her friends, EcoMap Technologies, the Johns Hopkins University, the City of Baltimore, and the State of Maryland. It was right here, where she was making a significant impact on improving the lives, entities and communities which she so loved. Acceptable justice may be served today, but it will never fill the void, erase the grief, or replace the impact Pava would have had if given the full life that she deserved. That ALL innocent people deserve," said the LaPere family.
To learn more about the Pava Marie LaPere Act, which eliminates diminution credits for first-degree sex offenders, click here.