GUILTY MD - Forbes “30 Under 30” CEO Pava LaPere, 26, found with blunt-force trauma, Baltimore, 25 September 2023

[Puzzles8]

It would be helpful to know what the roof is like. Is there an area for tenants to use as a common space? Did she have a private space up there? Or is it a regular ol' roof with nothing but some utility stuff and tenants don't venture up there.

jmo

It looks to me like a basic white roof with a/c units.
You can zoom in on the rooftop

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JMO

ETA - It looks as if there are two entryways/staircases to the roof. I think they are connected by a walkway. I have to wonder if residents need a special key or even have a key to access to the roof area. Building Managers and Maintenance would have keys. I can't believe they would leave the roof access' unlocked.

JMO

 

[MamaOV]

(Ignore the pop-up and just close it, not a paywall)

Why Jason Billingsley was released early from prison

The man now being sought for the killing of tech CEO Pava LaPere was sentenced to a prison term of 30 years. So how did he get released last fall?

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

It would be helpful to know what the roof is like. Is there an area for tenants to use as a common space? Did she have a private space up there? Or is it a regular ol' roof with nothing but some utility stuff and tenants don't venture up there.

jmo

Per the DM it is only accessible by ladder or fire escape.

 

[realanastasia]

It looks to me like a basic white roof with a/c units.
You can zoom in on the rooftop

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

JMO

ETA - It looks as if there are two entryways/staircases to the roof. I think they are connected by a walkway. I have to wonder if residents need a special key or even have a key to access to the roof area. Building Managers and Maintenance would have keys. I can't believe they would leave the roof access' unlocked.

JMO

Look at the side view of the building—I hate to suggest it, but could she have been pushed out a window and landed on the lower part of the roof? It would almost certainly account for injuries that fall under the “blunt force trauma” umbrella (though, I fear, probably not all of the injuries she suffered).

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Look at the side view of the building—I hate to suggest it, but could she have been pushed out a window and landed on the lower part of the roof?

Interesting idea, she lived on the top floor. The Daily Mail suggests it was "up" saying

"While investigators are remaining tight-lipped about the circumstances, police sources confirmed to DailyMail.com that LaPere's badly-beaten body was found on the roof of her luxury apartment building.

Reaching the area would have potentially meant climbing a ladder or fire escape, the source explained.

The macabre twist raises the possibility that LaPere was either led up there before she was attacked, or that her body was discarded on the roof afterwards to try to hide the crime."

Body of Pava LaPere, 26, found on roof of her posh Baltimore apt

Pava LaPere, 26, was found dead on Monday in her Baltimore apartment building. Sources confirmed to DailyMail.com that her body was discovered on the roof.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[NeverPersonal]

Her building was described as having "luxury" apartments. In Baltimore would a 1 bedroom at $1,500 /mo be a "luxury" apartment?

306 W Franklin, 306, Baltimore, MD 21201

Let us offer you the experience of easy and convenient living in the heart of Mt Vernon, Baltimore. Live hassle-free and efficiently in one of Zahlco’s Urban Living communities. 306 W Franklin St, is LOCATED NEAR PEABODY UNIVERSITY & MERCY HOSPITAL. View 3D Tour -...

www.zahlco.com

i pay more in a similar sized city for waaayyy less quality... i need to move to baltimore i guess. wow.

 

[NeverPersonal]

I feel so bad thinking of what her last moments must've been like. Catching someone by surprise like that is often a toss up, either the adrenaline kicks in and they get away or they're panicked and freeze up. I wish predators could evaporate entirely

 

[Frndlylndlrd]

Wonder if she is an adoptive mother of some sort? 50 year age difference seems unlikely? Possible, I suppose. I hope he is in custody soon.

Hard to believe he was hanging with "mom" after this crime.

There is a Yelp review of her building that mentions significant security issues prior to the homicide, particularly with locks, people in building and functioning of cameras. These big buildings have a lot of people in and out, including food delivery people and it's common for someone to follow in and not be challenged, or to watch the code typed in. If you don't live in a large NE city, don't be deflected by stainless steel appliances or words in a real estate description, they are not very secure, only as secure as the last rushing Uber Eats guy who may not notice someone watching him put in code, who may not care if someone grabs the door behind him, etc. He could possibly have posed as a food delivery guy, or door may have been propped. RIP to the victim, a terrible loss.

I get how the person gets into the hallway, but then what. People live in the apartments along the hallway, don’t they? so what happens next, which doesn’t allow the victim to scream.

I tend to feel safer in an apt than a house, I suppose I shouldn’t.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

I wonder if he may have encountered her in a hallway so needed to go somewhere out of general sight but did not have access to her unit, thus the roof? Seems like he may have had some familiarity with the building? JMOO. Neighbor across the hall is said to have heard nothing. I hope he is captured very soon.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

i pay more in a similar sized city for waaayyy less quality... i need to move to baltimore i guess. wow.

Housing in Baltimore has historically been on the cheaper side, I also got a bit of sticker shock. There are video tours of a few units on YT, they are laid out a bit oddly as renovated hotel rooms and with the rounded parts of the building. There is a nice gym, lobby and the building has nice in unit w/d. I think the later 2 also have to do with history as hotel, posh lobby space and no common laundry room as a pre-war apartment building might have. The spaces were great for TT and IG, both the NGO office and her unit, she posted images and vid of both online. In Baltimore there is a distinction between Baltimore City and Baltimore County, the city historically having a higher crime rate, think, The Wire, which may have lowered housing costs compared to other NE cities. I do not live there but have friends who do and have visited.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

The building is on the historical register and has an interesting history. Some of the links and videos give more of a context re: the building. Before it was a mixed use apartment building it was called Hotel Kernan and The Congress Hotel. The Marble Bar in basement of the hotel had an important punk rock history, and before that, vaudeville.

I can see the history and vibe (and architecture) being really appealing, especially to young, new to the city people or for a socially focused tech startup. Per her Wiki, Parva was from Arizona, not sure they have the kind of prewar architecture that NE cities do. I get the appeal and can also imagine a lot of people in and out of a building with a smallish footprint with commercial tenants, etc. The apartment doors themselves had keypads, will be interested to see if fobs or codes were required for the elevators, etc. Just wish it had been safer.

Hotel Kernan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Congress Hotel | Explore Baltimore Heritage

Known originally as the Hotel Kernan, the Congress Hotel was built in 1903 by James L. Kernan. Kernan was a savvy businessman who sought to capitalize on the ways in which immigration had influenced the tastes of wealthy visitors and Baltimore natives alike. By the 1970s, the hotel also housed...

explore.baltimoreheritage.org

The Iconic Marble Bar is Being Revived Into a Community Cafe - Baltimore Magazine

Mobtown Ballroom owners plan to pay homage to the former punk rock haven.

www.baltimoremagazine.com

 

[Puzzles8]

Look at the side view of the building—I hate to suggest it, but could she have been pushed out a window and landed on the lower part of the roof? It would almost certainly account for injuries that fall under the “blunt force trauma” umbrella (though, I fear, probably not all of the injuries she suffered).

Your theory about being found on a lower roof makes a lot of sense.

JMO

 

[LadyL]

BBM.

"...police sources confirmed to DailyMail.com that LaPere's badly-beaten body was found on the roof of her luxury apartment building.

Reaching the area would have potentially meant climbing a ladder or fire escape, the source explained.

The macabre twist raises the possibility that LaPere was either led up there before she was attacked, or that her body was discarded on the roof afterwards to try to hide the crime."

Body of Pava LaPere, 26, found on roof of her posh Baltimore apt

Pava LaPere, 26, was found dead on Monday in her Baltimore apartment building. Sources confirmed to DailyMail.com that her body was discovered on the roof.

www.dailymail.co.uk

or she tried to escape by going up there and the waste of taxpayer money followed her up

 

[LadyL]

Her building was described as having "luxury" apartments. In Baltimore would a 1 bedroom at $1,500 /mo be a "luxury" apartment?

looks pretty standard to me (and small) except the outside is gorgeous

 

[sds71]

Jason Dean Billingsley apprehended in killing of Baltimore tech founder

The registered sex offender was taken into custody after 11 p.m. at a train station in Bowie, U.S. Marshals confirmed.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

 

[charminglane]

Jason Dean Billingsley apprehended in killing of Baltimore tech founder

The registered sex offender was taken into custody after 11 p.m. at a train station in Bowie, U.S. Marshals confirmed.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

Thanks for the update!

 

[Warwick1991]

Jason Dean Billingsley apprehended in killing of Baltimore tech founder

The registered sex offender was taken into custody after 11 p.m. at a train station in Bowie, U.S. Marshals confirmed.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

What a horror…. Murder, arson, horrific attacks..

 

[ifindedout]

Jason Dean Billingsley apprehended in killing of Baltimore tech founder

The registered sex offender was taken into custody after 11 p.m. at a train station in Bowie, U.S. Marshals confirmed.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

That would be Bowie State. (pronounced as "buoy")

Bowie State station - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[borndem]

Just getting here...
How awful -- she was one of those people who wanted to help people and doing it her way. Well-liked and admired -- one of the "good ones." Now she is gone, but she left such good things for other people.
Was this a random type thing? If so how did he get access to her? How did he get to her? In the parking lot and had a weapon?
A beautiful hotel turned into a beautiful apartment building. Is this a safe area around the building? How easy is it getting upstairs if one doesn't live or work there?
Hoping that BPD and the prosecutors have good solid evidence against the one who ended her life and her dreams of helping others in her own way. Her family and friends will grieve for a long, long time.
Justice, come quickly.

 

[borndem]

Jason Dean Billingsley apprehended in killing of Baltimore tech founder

The registered sex offender was taken into custody after 11 p.m. at a train station in Bowie, U.S. Marshals confirmed.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

Wow! Great news!
Thanks, @sds71 for the update. Hoping there is good solid proof that he is the one.
Let justice and good, solid evidence prevail.