Boyfriend of London Thomas will serve up to 50 years in prison on murder charge
It was an emotional day in court on Friday as Jalen Pendergrass was sentenced to 25-50 years in prison for murdering his 17-year-old girlfriend, London Thomas.
During the hearing in Wayne County Third Circuit Court, family members shared heartbreaking statements about the teen they loved and lost. The teen's mother, Jasmine Bennett, cried as she spoke about the life experiences that her daughter will never get the chance to have - including high school graduation, going to prom, and getting married.
Both of her grandmothers also spoke during the sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors argued Pendergrass showed a pattern of deception after Thomas' death, saying he misled investigators and London's family while they searched for her. They urged the parole board to remember that conduct in the future.
As part of the agreement that was previously filed in court, prosecutors dismissed the charges of tampering with evidence, unlawful imprisonment and felony homicide against Jalen Pendergrass. The charge that remained was second-degree murder. He will get credit for 294 days served.
Background on the case
This is one of the final pieces in a story that got widespread attention in Metro Detroit, as it took several days for Thomas' body to be found after she was last seen on April 5, 2025.
During a plea hearing on July 2, Pendergrass admitted to meeting up with her at an Inkster residence on April 5, 2025, and admitted that the two had gotten into a physical altercation. Jalen Pendergrass admitted to putting his hands around Thomas' neck until the point where she was no longer breathing.
Thomas was last seen around 4 a.m. April 5, 2025, in Inkster, and her family filed a police report on April 6, 2025, when she did not return home. Family and friends organized searches to find the teen. Her body was found on April 26, 2025, in Southfield, inside a parked SUV in a driveway in the area of Millard Street near Berg Road.
A medical examiner determined that Thomas died from asphyxia and ruled the manner of death as homicide. Jalen Pendergrass and his mother, Charla Pendergrass, of Clawson, were both charged in October 2025 in connection with Thomas' death. At the time of arraignment, the two entered not guilty pleas.
On April 26, 2025, Wayne County prosecutors said Inkster police received a tip from a friend of Charla Pendergrass.
Prosecutors say that the friend alleged that Charla Pendergrass called him on April 7, 2025, and asked him to move a "sealed plastic bin with unknown contents." Authorities said that the friend placed the bin in an SUV on Millard Street in Southfield on April 11, 2025.
In the meantime, Charla Pendergrass is scheduled to return to Wayne County Third Circuit Court on Friday for a pretrial conference on pending charges of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, felony murder and unlawful imprisonment. Her trial is set to start Oct. 26.
