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A mother from Michigan is facing serious allegations after reportedly encouraging her son to “get angry” and murder his teenage girlfriend, as revealed by witness testimony. This has resulted in both mother and son being charged with murder.
Jalen Pendergrass, 23, and his mother Charla Pendergrass, 49, now face first-degree murder charges following a significant four-hour court session on January 22, which included statements from crucial witnesses, according to a report by WXYZ. Initially, in October, the pair had been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the tragic death of 17-year-old London Thomas.
The case dates back to April 5, 2025, when London went missing after being dropped off at her boyfriend Jalen’s home in Inkster at approximately 4 a.m. As outlined in a statement from the Wayne County Prosecutor, London’s mother reported her missing to Detroit Police the following day.
For several weeks, London’s disappearance puzzled her family and authorities, until April 26, 2025, when a friend of Charla contacted the police. The friend reported that Charla had asked him to relocate a “sealed plastic bin with unknown contents,” according to prosecutors.
Upon investigating the scene, authorities discovered London’s body inside the bin, bringing a tragic end to the search for the missing teenager.
Authorities responded to the scene and discovered London’s remains inside in the bin.
“It was determined that Ms. Thomas died from asphyxia,” prosecutors noted in the statement, “and that the manner of death was homicide.”
Witness Alleges Charla Pendergrass Told Her Son to Kill London Thomas
Key to the prosecutor’s case was the testimony of Lanyja Wilkerson, an ex-girlfriend of Jalen’s who took the stand Jan. 22, alleging that he confessed to killing London.
She told the court that Jalen offered her several accounts of what happened that night. In one, she said Jalen told her London had gotten into a fight with his mother, prompting him to tie her up and beat her up, according to WXYZ.
She testified that Charla then told her son to “get angry” and “kill” London.
“He told me that he pulled her out the bed,” Lanyja said on the stand. “He stood her up, grabbed a belt and choked her until she fell.”
She also testified that Jalen had sent her rap lyrics describing putting a woman in the trunk.
Yet, defense attorney Terry L. Johnson challenged Lanyja’s account, arguing that she and Jalen had been both high at the time of the alleged conversation. He also contended that the autopsy results did not support her account of what happened that night.
Prosecutors also called the man who contacted police about the plastic bin. He told the court that Charla asked him to hold the bin then asked him to get rid of it. Rather than destroy the evidence, he contacted police to hand the bin over.
After listening to all the evidence presented in the four-hour hearing, Judge Sabrina Johnson ordered that the cases against the mother and son move forward with the upgraded charges of first-degree murder, the news outlet reported.
Charla and Jalen—who are being held at the Wayne County Jail—are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Jan. 30, according to the The Oakland Press.
For London’s mother Jams Bennett, who was present at the hearing, the upgraded charges were, per WXYZ, “one small step toward justice for London and our family.”
