'Get Angry and Kill Her': Teen Girlfriend Strangled and Found Sealed in Bin after Mother Coached Son to Kill

A Michigan mother and her adult son are set to stand trial on upgraded first-degree murder charges after prosecutors alleged she urged him to 'get angry' and kill his teenage girlfriend, whose body was later found sealed inside a plastic bin.

The case centres on the death of 17-year-old London Thomas, who was reported missing in April last year and whose remains were discovered weeks later in the trunk of an SUV. Prosecutors say new testimony presented during a preliminary hearing showed premeditation and an active role played by the suspect's mother, prompting a judge to approve more serious charges.

Charges Upgraded After Court Testimony

Inkster District Judge Sabrina Johnson ruled last week that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to advance the case to trial. Both the 49-year-old mother, Charla Pendergrass, and her 24-year-old son, Jalen Pendergrass, now face charges of first-degree murder, along with unlawful imprisonment and tampering with evidence.

As reported by Law&Crime, the pair had initially been charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors argued that new witness testimony pointed to deliberate intent rather than a spontaneous act, meeting the legal threshold for first-degree murder under Michigan law.

Alleged Coaching to Kill

Central to the prosecution's case was testimony from one of the son's former girlfriends. She told the court that, after Thomas disappeared, the accused sent her lyrics from a song referencing hiding a woman in a car trunk so her family would never see her again.

The witness also testified that the son later confessed to killing Thomas following a confrontation between the teen and his mother. According to her account, the mother told her son to 'get angry' and to kill the girl.

The former girlfriend said the son described pulling Thomas from a bed and strangling her with a belt until she collapsed. Prosecutors cited this testimony as evidence that the killing was not only intentional but encouraged.

Body Found Sealed in Plastic Bin

Thomas was last seen alive in the early hours of 5 April 2025, when she was dropped off at her boyfriend's home in Inkster, west of Detroit. Her family reported her missing multiple times over the following days as police launched a search.

Nearly a month later, authorities were alerted by an individual who said the mother had contacted him asking for help moving a sealed plastic bin with unknown contents. As reported by Fox2Detroit, the man later assisted in transporting the container to another property but became suspicious and left it in the trunk of his vehicle.

Police recovered the bin on 26 April. Inside were Thomas' remains. A medical examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by asphyxiation.

Alleged Cover-Up Efforts

Prosecutors described what they called an extended effort to conceal the crime. Court records allege the mother asked for help disposing of the bin and suggested burning it. These actions formed the basis for additional evidence tampering charges.

The witness who moved the bin later contacted police through an attorney, leading investigators to the vehicle and the discovery of the remains.

Case Status and Next Steps

Both defendants remain in custody at the Wayne County Jail. They are scheduled to return to court on 30 January, when the case will proceed toward trial.

Prosecutors will need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the killing was premeditated and that the mother knowingly encouraged or assisted in the act. Defence lawyers have not yet presented their arguments in court.

The case has drawn renewed attention to the killing of London Thomas, a teenager whose family spent weeks searching for answers after she failed to come home.