The Brief Jalen Pendergrass sentenced to 25 to 50 years for the murder of his teen girlfriend London Thomas back in 2025. The boyfriend charged in the murder of Inkster teen London Thomas was sentenced to between 25 and 50 years in prison on Friday. Charla Pendergrass:Jalen Pendergrass' mother, Charla, is facing a litany of charges - although she was able to avoid one of them. After Thomas' body was discovered, the boyfriend's mother, Pendergrass, 48, was arrested and charged with lying to a peace officer. Weeks later, that same bin, which contained Thomas' body, was found in an SUV at the Southfield house, the prosecutor said.