Main, left to right: Jalen Pendergrass and Charla Pendergrass (WXYZ). Inset: London Thomas (CrimeStoppers).
A 49-year-old mother in Michigan and her 24-year-old son accused of killing the latter's 17-year-old girlfriend last year before engaging in an "extended campaign" to cover up their crime will face upgraded and additional charges when they head to trial.
Inkster District Judge Sabrina Johnson last week advanced the cases against Charla Pendergrass and Jalen Pendergrass, each of whom is now charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of London Thomas. The duo were previously charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Johnson also approved an additional charge of unlawful imprisonment for both defendants, Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ reported.
The judge's ruling reportedly came after one of Jalen Pendergrass' former girlfriends testified that, after Thomas went missing, Jalen Pendergrass sent her the lyrics from a song by NBA Youngboy that read, "Put the b— up in the trunk, her family will never see her again."
Police discovered Thomas' body stuffed in a plastic container in the trunk of an SUV.
The former girlfriend also told the court that Jalen Pendergrass confessed to the murder, saying that after Thomas got into a physical confrontation with his mother, he beat her and then tied her up.
According to the former girlfriend, Charla Pendergrass then told her son to "get angry" and to "kill her."
"He told me that he pulled her out the bed, he stood her up, grabbed a belt and choked her until she fell," the former girlfriend reportedly testified.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Thomas was last seen alive around 4 a.m. on April 5, 2025, as she was being dropped off at Jalen Pendergrass' residence in the 27000 block of Carlysle Street in Inkster, Michigan, about 15 miles west of Detroit.
Members of Thomas' family reported her missing several times over the following days as authorities began searching for her.
Nearly a month later, authorities received a call from an individual claiming to be Charla Pendergrass' friend, who claimed Charla Pendergrass contacted him on April 6, 2025, asking if he could help her move a plastic bin that was "sealed" with "unknown contents" inside, Detroit Fox affiliate WJBK reported.
The friend reportedly agreed, and on April 11, assisted Charla Pendergrass in moving the container to a home on Millard Street in Southfield, Michigan. The friend testified that Charla Pendergrass told him "to get rid of it — to burn it." However, suspicious about the contents of the bin, the friend left it in the trunk of his SUV. He later contacted police through an attorney and notified them about the bin and the vehicle's location.
Authorities on April 26, 2025, recovered the bin from an SUV parked outside of the Millard Street home. They found Thomas' remains inside. A medical examiner later determined that Thomas' manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was asphyxiation.
The mother and son remain in custody at the Wayne County Jail and are scheduled to make their next court appearance on Jan. 30.