London Thomas' boyfriend pleads guilty to her murder, admits to strangling her
The boyfriend of 17-year-old London Thomas pleaded guilty to her murder Thursday during a pretrial conference.
During Thursday's pretrial conference, Jalen Pendergrass, who authorities said was the 23-year-old boyfriend of Thomas, 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 with second-degree murder and conspiracy to tamper with evidence. 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.
As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors have dismissed the charges of tampering with evidence, unlawful imprisonment and felony homicide against Jalen Pendergrass, according to court records.
Jalen Pendergrass is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31.
Charla Pendergrass is scheduled to return to court on July 31 for a pretrial conference. Her trial is set to start Oct. 26.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
