Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said “I’m going to trust those individuals who work and do that is their job every day to hunt people down, to say that we that they made the right decision,” during an exclusive interview Wednesday morning with 11 TV Hill.Jason Billingsley, 32, was arrested last week after more than 24 hours on the run on accusations he killed Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere, who was found dead days prior at her Mount Vernon apartment building. A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.Police said Billingsley also faces charges in a second violent crime: A Sept. 19 rape, attempted murder and arson on Edmondson Avenue. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said LaPere was reported missing on Sept. 24 and found dead the next day but that she was “probably murdered” on Sept. 22.During Worley’s confirmation hearing on Monday, Baltimore City Councilman Eric Costello, D-District 11, said Worley admitted that police should have released Billingsley’s photo after the Edmondson Avenue case, before the alleged killing of LaPere. Worley previously defended not releasing the information as a strategy to keep the suspect from fleeing, which police said he ultimately did.During a news conference Thursday, Worley said: “There were two victims from Edmondson Avenue — one was in the hospital, one was at the location. We had to get them protection. We had to send Anne Arundel County, we had to protect those two victims. Hindsight is always 20/20. If I had known he was going to go kill someone, I would have put the flyer out, but he had no indication he was committing random acts.”When asked Wednesday morning whether police made a mistake, the mayor said: “When you when you have the warrant apprehension task force, which of course, is not just Baltimore City, where they work with the US Marshals and folks from all around around the region who do this daily chase and they go after folks.””They’re very particular about that information. When you have an incident that is folks where they know each other. And at that point, that’s all that they had (that) was these folks knew each other (and) they were actively tracking them. I’m going to trust those individuals who work and do that is their job every day to hunt people down, to say that we made the right decision.””Hindsight is always 20-20. But as someone who consistently says to them, ‘okay, you guys have known who who’ve done this or that for a long time, when are we going to put it out?’ That’s always done with the calculation about how we’re able to bring that person in, and I think they will continue to do that. But we’re also now going to be making sure that the commissioner is alerted of these kind of decisions early so he can make the ultimate decision in lifting these things up, whether things go out or not.”Police have previously said they have evidence linking Billingsley to both crimes. In court on Friday, prosecutors called the Sept. 19 attack “extremely disturbing” and LaPere’s killing “a heinous case,” telling the judge that Billingsley allegedly waived his Miranda rights and confessed after his arrest. Prosecutors told the judge that Billingsley admitted to beating LaPere to death “with a brick and his hands.”Detectives are now reviewing all cases since October 2022 to determine whether Billingsley could be connected to any more, according to police.Video below: Mayor — ‘(Suspect) posed a substantial danger’ (Sept. 28)
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said “I’m going to trust those individuals who work and do that is their job every day to hunt people down, to say that we that they made the right decision,” during an exclusive interview Wednesday morning with 11 TV Hill.
Jason Billingsley, 32, was arrested last week after more than 24 hours on the run on accusations he killed Baltimore tech CEO Pava LaPere, who was found dead days prior at her Mount Vernon apartment building. A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.
Police said Billingsley also faces charges in a second violent crime: A Sept. 19 rape, attempted murder and arson on Edmondson Avenue. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said LaPere was reported missing on Sept. 24 and found dead the next day but that she was “probably murdered” on Sept. 22.
During Worley’s confirmation hearing on Monday, Baltimore City Councilman Eric Costello, D-District 11, said Worley admitted that police should have released Billingsley’s photo after the Edmondson Avenue case, before the alleged killing of LaPere. Worley previously defended not releasing the information as a strategy to keep the suspect from fleeing, which police said he ultimately did.
During a news conference Thursday, Worley said: “There were two victims from Edmondson Avenue — one was in the hospital, one was at the location. We had to get them protection. We had to send Anne Arundel County, we had to protect those two victims. Hindsight is always 20/20. If I had known he was going to go kill someone, I would have put the flyer out, but he had no indication he was committing random acts.”
When asked Wednesday morning whether police made a mistake, the mayor said:
“When you when you have the warrant apprehension task force, which of course, is not just Baltimore City, where they work with the US Marshals and folks from all around around the region who do this daily chase and they go after folks.”
“They’re very particular about that information. When you have an incident that is folks where they know each other. And at that point, that’s all that they had (that) was these folks knew each other (and) they were actively tracking them. I’m going to trust those individuals who work and do that is their job every day to hunt people down, to say that we made the right decision.”
“Hindsight is always 20-20. But as someone who consistently says to them, ‘okay, you guys have known who who’ve done this or that for a long time, when are we going to put it out?’ That’s always done with the calculation about how we’re able to bring that person in, and I think they will continue to do that. But we’re also now going to be making sure that the commissioner is alerted of these kind of decisions early so he can make the ultimate decision in lifting these things up, whether things go out or not.”
Police have previously said they have evidence linking Billingsley to both crimes. In court on Friday, prosecutors called the Sept. 19 attack “extremely disturbing” and LaPere’s killing “a heinous case,” telling the judge that Billingsley allegedly waived his Miranda rights and confessed after his arrest. Prosecutors told the judge that Billingsley admitted to beating LaPere to death “with a brick and his hands.”
Detectives are now reviewing all cases since October 2022 to determine whether Billingsley could be connected to any more, according to police.
Video below: Mayor — ‘(Suspect) posed a substantial danger’ (Sept. 28)
