A judge has ordered two suspects to stand trial on upgraded charges in the murder of 17-year-old London Thomas, who went missing in April 2025 and was found dead weeks later.
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New charges filed in London Thomas murder case as suspects head to trial
A judge has ordered two suspects to stand trial on upgraded charges in the murder of 17-year-old London Thomas, who went missing in April 2025 and was found dead weeks later.
Jalen Pendergrass, 24, and his mother Charla Pendergrass, 49, now face first-degree murder charges after originally being charged with second-degree murder in October. Judge Sabrina Johnson also approved the prosecution's request to add charges of unlawful imprisonment and evidence tampering following more than four hours of testimony during Thursday's preliminary hearing in Inkster.
During the hearing, Lanyja Wilkerson, another former girlfriend of Jalen Pendergrass, testified that he sent her specific song lyrics from a song by rapper NBA Youngboy after Thomas went missing.
"Put the b**** up in the trunk, her family will never see her again," Wilkerson said, recounting the lyrics she alleges Jalen Pendergrass wanted her to hear.
Wilkerson also testified that Jalen Pendergrass later confessed to her about the night of April 5. She said he told her two different stories, and in the first story he said Thomas and his mother got into a physical fight at his home, after which he beat Thomas and tied her up.
Wilkerson then says that Jalen Pendergrass said he was told by his mother to "get angry."
"Did he tell you she (Charla Pendergrass) told him to do anything else?" the prosecuting attorney asked Wilkerson.
"To kill her," Wilkerson replied, then added "He told me that he pulled her out the bed, he stood her up, grabbed a belt and choked her until she fell."
Wilkerson didn't come forward with the alleged confessions until October, which is when both Charla and Jalen Pendergrass were charged with second-degree murder.
Another witness, a friend of Charla Pendergrass, testified that Charla gave him a large plastic tote containing Thomas' body and asked him to hold it for him, before later asking him to dispose of it.
He says he never asked what was in the bin and he never opened it.
"She told me to get rid of it, to burn it," the witness said.
Suspecting it may be evidence in the case, he contacted police through a lawyer about the tote's location, which was in the trunk of his SUV that he left parked outside a friend's house in Southfield. When police arrived, they found Thomas' body inside the bin tied up and bruised. It had been several weeks since she was reported missing. Prosecutors said evidence shows Jalen Pendergrass' DNA was likely on the handles.
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