Upgraded counts include first-degree murder, unlawful imprisonment and evidence tampering after hours of testimony.
INKSTER, Mich. — A judge has ordered Jalen Pendergrass and his mother, Charla Pendergrass, to stand trial on upgraded charges in the killing of 17-year-old London Thomas after a preliminary hearing that stretched more than four hours on Thursday in Inkster District Court.
The case now advances with first-degree murder counts, adding unlawful imprisonment and evidence tampering to earlier allegations. Prosecutors say Thomas vanished on April 5, 2025, and was found three weeks later inside a plastic storage tote recovered from a vehicle in Southfield. Thursday’s ruling by Judge Sabrina Johnson follows months of investigation and new sworn testimony, including an account from a former girlfriend who said Jalen confessed and described being urged by his mother. Defense counsel challenged the witness’s credibility and the medical findings. The decision moves a closely watched case into circuit court, where a trial schedule will be set.
During the hearing, prosecutors outlined a timeline that began when Thomas was dropped off at the Pendergrass home on Carlysle Street in Inkster in the early hours of April 5. A former girlfriend of Jalen testified that he later sent her song lyrics referencing hiding a body and that he separately admitted beating and choking Thomas that night. She said he told her his mother told him to “get angry” and “to kill her.” The witness acknowledged drug use around the time of the conversation, a point the defense emphasized while arguing her account could not be trusted and did not match autopsy details. Judge Johnson allowed the testimony and found enough probable cause to bind the case over on first-degree counts.
Prosecutors also presented testimony from a man who said Charla asked him to take possession of a sealed plastic tote days after Thomas disappeared and later asked him to get rid of it. He said he did not open the bin and eventually alerted authorities through a lawyer, leading police to a parked SUV in Southfield where Thomas’s body was discovered on April 26. Officers reported finding the teen tied and bruised inside the tote. Investigators told the court that DNA consistent with Jalen was likely found on the tote’s handles. The medical examiner has ruled the death a homicide by asphyxia. Defense attorney Terry L. Johnson pressed the witnesses on inconsistencies and suggested the state’s theory does not fit the pathology report.
Records show Jalen, now 24, and Charla, 49, were initially charged in October with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, after authorities re-interviewed witnesses and reviewed phone records. Thursday’s ruling adds unlawful imprisonment and upgrades the homicide counts to first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence if convicted. The judge said probable cause was established through the combined testimony and physical evidence. Prosecutors described the mother’s alleged role as directing a “campaign” to mislead investigators in the days after the killing, while the defense countered that the state is overreaching and relying on unreliable accounts.
The hearing drew Thomas’s family members, who sat together in the front rows. Her mother, Jasma Bennett, called the decision “one small step toward justice for London and our family,” and asked that the process remain peaceful. Her grandmother, Jestina Martin, welcomed the upgrade: “First-degree murder, that’s good enough for me,” she said outside court. Thomas’s sister, Jaila Hatcher, testified she dropped London at the house and became alarmed when calls went unanswered. “This isn’t like her,” Hatcher told the judge. Stepdad Darnell Johnson said the unfolding narrative was “sickening” and that the family is bracing for the long court process ahead.
The case now moves to Wayne County Circuit Court for arraignment on the information, where a judge will set further dates and address any motions. Both defendants have indicated they will plead not guilty. Earlier in the case, Jalen was held without bond and Charla’s bond was set at $5 million; those terms remain subject to review in circuit court. Prosecutors said additional forensic analysis and phone data will be introduced later. A scheduling conference is expected after the filing is transmitted, with trial timing to be determined in the coming weeks.
As of Sunday, the upgraded charges stand and the case has been formally bound over for trial. The next milestone is the circuit-court arraignment on the information, expected soon after the file transfer from district court.
Author note: Last updated January 25, 2026.