Baltimore police hunt suspect in slaying of rising business star Pava LaPere

Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Baltimore police are hunting a suspect believed to have killed rising business star Pava LaPere, the 26-year-old CEO of EcoMap Technologies.

Jason Dean Billingsley, 32, is on the run as police seek to arrest him on a first-degree murder warrant for the death of LaPere, who was found dead from blunt-force trauma around 11:34 a.m. Monday at an apartment, the Baltimore Police Department announced on Twitter.

Police added in another statement that Billingsley was previously arrested in 2013, 2011 and 2009 for multiple charges including a sex offense, second-degree assault and robbery. Investigators are seeking to determine his possible connection to other cases.

"Billingsley is considered armed and dangerous," police said.

"Please contact 911 if you come in contact with this individual or have any further information."

On Monday, police said a missing person's call had been dispatched just before police responded to the apartment where LaPere was found.

LaPere had cofounded the company EcoMap -- which earned her a place on Forbes' "30 Under 30" list for social impact. Billingsley's motives for allegedly killing LaPere were not immediately clear.

EcoMap, which had raised more than $4 million in funding and hired a team of almost 30 people, is a business-to-business company that builds software to help organizations curate their internal data, assets and other resources to help streamline communication and internal systems navigation.

Its main two products are the EcoBot Chatbot, an artificial intelligence chatbot custom trained for a business' needs to provide employees with internal data and other information, and the EcoMap Platform, a centralized hub for business owners that also collects data and generates insights useful for company stakeholders.

Clients of the company include The Aspen Institute, Meta, the WXR Fund and the T. Rowe Price Foundation.

"The circumstances surrounding Pava's death are deeply distressing, and our deepest condolences are with her family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly devastating time," EcoMap said in a statement.

"Pava was not only the visionary force behind EcoMp but was also a deeply compassionate and dedicated leader."

EcoMap added that LaPere's legacy "will live on" through the company's work and fostering of a "deeply inclusive culture as a leader."

The company has invited the public to a remembrance vigil for LaPere on Wednesday at the south steps of the Washington Monument in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore.