INKSTER, Mich. (FOX 2) - The boyfriend of murdered teen London Thomas, along with his mother, are both due in court Friday after they were charged with killing her.
Charla Pendergrass, 49, and Jalen Pendergrass, 23, are scheduled to appear for a preliminary examination at 9 a.m. Watch live above.
The backstory:
Thomas, 17, was last seen on April 5 when her sister dropped her off at her 23-year-old boyfriend's Inkster home. On April 26, 2025, her body was found in Southfield.
After Thomas' body was discovered, the boyfriend's mother, Charla Pendergrass, was arrested and charged with lying to a peace officer. Charla Pendergrass allegedly told an investigator that she saw Thomas leave the Inkster home where she was last seen on April 5, a fact that authorities say was a lie.
Authorities say phone records and video confirm that she lied to investigators.
Michigan crime: Big cases to watch in 2026
The missing Skelton brothers, Danielle Stislicki's disappearance, Ashley Elkins' murder, and more -- some of Metro Detroit's biggest cases are moving forward in 2026. Here's a look at the cases FOX 2 will be following closely in 2026.
Despite this, the lying to a peace officer charge was dropped during Charla Pendergrass' preliminary examination because the person she allegedly lied to was a federal agent. According to the prosecution, a federal agent does not meet the definition of a "peace officer" under Michigan statute, so the case could not proceed.
Both Charla Pendergrass and Jalen Pendergrass were later arrested and charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in October.
Dig deeper:
According to a press release from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, evidence allegedly shows that Jalen and Charla Pendergrass killed Thomas. Kym Worthy said that a friend of Charla Pendergrass called police and provided this information.
That friend said that on April 6, Charla Pendergrass called him and asked him to help transport a sealed plastic bin with unknown contents. The friend told police that he agreed, and moved the bin to a home on Millard Street in Southfield and put the bin in an SUV on April 11. Weeks later, that same bin, which contained Thomas' body, was found in an SUV at the Southfield house, the prosecutor said.
An autopsy determined that Thomas died from asphyxia.
The Source: Information from previous reporting was used in this story.
Watch FOX 2 News Live
This browser does not support the Video element.