Teen visited her boyfriend and then vanished. Weeks later, he and his mother are charged with her murder

Michigan State Police uncovered human remains in the back of an SUV. They later confirmed the remains belonged to 17-year-old London Thomas, and now a mother-son duo is being charged with her murder. Police say they have all the evidence they need — the only thing missing is a motive. 

While the story might sound like that of the singer D4vd, at first glance, there are a few differences. Chief among them: London’s parents knew exactly where she was before she officially went missing. On Apr. 5, in Inkster, Michigan, London was last seen. She had been dropped off the previous night at her adult boyfriend Jalen Pendegrass’s house. Her parents went ahead and filed a missing person’s report.

The search for London went on for almost three weeks until her remains were found on Apr. 26 in a parked SUV that had been stationary for at least a fortnight, according to later investigations. Prosecutors later revealed that on Apr. 11, Jalen’s mother, Charla Pendegrass, 49, reached out to a male friend asking if he could help her transport a “sealed plastic bin” — the same one London’s body was later found in.

According to Café Mom, the evidence was so strong that prosecutors were certain the case would go their way. “This is a case where the evidence, I believe, will be abundant that both defendants — but in particular Ms. Charla Pendergrass — engaged in an extended campaign to lie to the police, lie to law enforcement to cover up her actions,” prosecutors said.

On Oct. 17, the mother-son duo were charged with second-degree murder and conspiracy to tamper with evidence. The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of life, with an additional 10 years for conspiracy. And even if bail were to be considered, the nature of the crime might ensure it’s denied altogether.

So far, Jalen has been denied bail, while Charla has been handed an eye-watering $5 million bond — nearly what Chris Brown was asked to pay when he got himself in trouble again in the UK on his multimillion-dollar tour. It goes without saying that Charla will likely answer for her case from behind bars.

London’s father, Cedric Salisbury, said, “I’m so angry and I’m so happy and satisfied at the same time. We all knew that they were pretty much responsible for what happened, so now we’re moving forward and moving in the right direction, going for justice for London.”

The Michigan State Police worked with the FBI to investigate the case and are confident they’ve done everything to meet the court’s demand for evidence. It’s a brutal situation — and all law enforcement seems to want now is a semblance of justice for London’s family.

There is still no understanding of why London’s life was taken. And technically, the suspects remain innocent until proven guilty — no matter how confident prosecutors and law enforcement sound. But if the prosecutors secure a guilty verdict, that’s usually when convicts finally open up and reveal a motive. Sometimes, that explanation becomes the only thing standing between them and a successful parole hearing.