Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Tech CEO Pava LaPere [Video]

A man pleaded guilty on Friday to the first-degree murder of tech CEO Pava LaPere.

LaPere, 26, was found dead on the rooftop of her downtown Baltimore apartment last September. She died from strangulation and blunt force trauma after being sexually assaulted in an apparent random attack.

Jason Billingsley, 33, pleaded guilty to murdering LaPere on Friday morning and will serve life in prison.

“Let me be clear, Mr. Billingsley should never see the light of day again,” Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said at a news conference following Billingsley’s hearing.

LaPere founded a tech startup, EcoMap Technologies, from her dorm room at Johns Hopkins University. EcoMap provides local ecosystem and nature information to the public. LaPere was also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, which showcases 30 notable people under 30 years old.

“Pava dedicated her life to a vision to improve Baltimore,” her close friend Shrenik Jaim …