Mother and son charged with murder in teen girlfriend's death

INKSTER, MI – A 49-year-old woman and her 23-year-old son have been arrested for allegedly murdering the son’s 17-year-old girlfriend, London Thomas, earlier this year. Charla Pendergrass and Jalen Pendergrass were taken into custody this week and face charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

Authorities report that Thomas was strangled to death and her body was placed inside a plastic bin. During a court hearing on Friday, prosecutors requested that both defendants be held in detention until their trial dates.

“This is a case where I believe the evidence will be abundant that both defendants, but particularly Ms. Charla Pendergrass, engaged in an extended campaign to lie,” stated the prosecutor. The defense attorney for Charla Pendergrass argued that his client had attended all previous court appearances and sought what he termed a “reasonable” bond.

Prosecutors are also pursuing no bond for Jalen Pendergrass, citing the severity of the charges and his alleged attempts to mislead investigators. He is reportedly facing another charge in a different county for filing a false report. While out on bond for that case, Jalen Pendergrass was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The judge ordered Jalen Pendergrass to be held without bond, while Charla Pendergrass’s bond was set at $5 million. Thomas was last seen alive on April 5 around 4 a.m. when she was dropped off at Jalen Pendergrass’ residence.

Thomas’s family reported her missing shortly after her disappearance. A break in the case happened weeks later when Charla Pendergrass allegedly contacted a friend about moving a plastic bin with unknown contents on April 6.

On April 26, authorities recovered the bin from an SUV parked outside a residence where it had been moved. The remains of London Thomas were found inside, and a medical examiner later determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation.

The investigation has involved the Michigan State Police, Detroit Police Department, and FBI. Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy commended the collaborative efforts in bringing the case to a resolution.

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