A 17-year-old girl, London Thomas, was last seen in the early morning hours of April 5, 2025, when she was dropped off at a residence in Inkster, Michigan. This would be the last time her family would see her alive. Concern grew quickly when she did not return home, a behavior her family described as unusual as she was in daily contact with her sisters. Her mother reported her missing to the Detroit police on April 6th, sparking an investigation that would uncover a tragic end to the young woman's life.
For weeks, family and friends searched for London, holding onto hope. However, the investigation took a grim turn on April 26th. Michigan State Police, acting on a crucial tip, discovered London's body in a plastic bin inside an SUV parked in the driveway of a home in Southfield, a city north of where she was last seen. The medical examiner would later determine that the cause of her death was asphyxia, ruling it a homicide. The tip that led to this discovery came from a friend of Charla Pendergrass, who alleged that Charla had asked him to move a sealed plastic bin with unknown contents.
The investigation into London's death soon focused on her 23-year-old ex-boyfriend, Jalen Pendergrass, and his 49-year-old mother, Charla Pendergrass. It was at their home in Inkster that London was last seen. Prosecutors allege that the romantic relationship between Jalen and London had ended around the time of her disappearance. After a thorough investigation involving the Michigan State Police, the Detroit Police Department, and the FBI, both Jalen and Charla Pendergrass were arrested and charged in connection with London's death.
In October 2025, Jalen and Charla Pendergrass were formally charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. During their arraignment, they both entered not guilty pleas. The judge set a high cash bond for Charla Pendergrass and ordered her to wear a GPS tether, while Jalen Pendergrass was held without bond due to other pending charges in a separate case. The family of London Thomas, who had been tirelessly seeking answers, expressed a sense of relief at the arrests, seeing it as a step towards justice for their beloved daughter. The case is now proceeding through the court system, with a probable cause conference scheduled as the next step in the legal process.
