Mom Allegedly Told Son to 'Get Angry' and Kill His Girlfriend Before Body Was Found Sealed in Plastic Bin: Testimony By Samira Asma-Sadeque

A Michigan teen who was found dead in the trunk of a car in April was killed after her ex-boyfriend’s mother allegedly told him to do so, a court heard last week.

London Thomas, 17, was found dead in the trunk of a car on April 26, three weeks after she was reported missing from Inkster, Mich., the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said in a statement in October.

Thomas’ ex-boyfriend, 24-year-old Jalen Pendergrass, and his mother, Charla Pendergrass, 49, were charged in connection with her homicide at the time.

Following a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Jan. 22, a judge in Inkster ordered the charges against them be upgraded to first-degree murder, WXYZ reported.

Thomas’ sister reported her missing on April 5 when she didn’t return home after last being dropped off at the residence of Jalen, who was her ex-boyfriend, around 4 a.m. that day, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said in a statement in October.

An investigation revealed that on April 7, Charla allegedly told a friend to “transport a sealed plastic bin with unknown contents,” per the statement. He put the package in the bin of the SUV on April 11, he told police.

Investigators found Thomas’ body after the friend directed police to the location. It’s not clear if he is facing any charges.

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While those accusations led to second-degree murder charges for the Pendergrasses, a harrowing court testimony last week prompted a judge to upgrade the charges to first-degree murder, WXYZ reported. 

Lanyja Wilkerson, another ex-girlfriend of Jalen, told the court on Thursday that he allegedly confided in her about Thomas’ killing, according to the outlet.

Charla, he allegedly told her, demanded he “get angry” and “kill” Thomas, Wilkerson said.

She further claimed that he sent her the lyrics of a song about a woman’s body being found in a trunk.

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Both mother and son were initially charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, the prosecutor’s office said.

Online court records for Charla show the upgraded first-degree murder charge, but Jalen’s court records did not reflect that as of Tuesday.

Charla has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, felony murder and unlawful imprisonment, her court records show.

Jalen’s court records, which only showed second-degree murder and tampering with evidence as of Tuesday, don’t indicate plea or attorney information.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.