Mom Accused of Orchestrating ‘Campaign to Lie’ to Police After Allegedly Helping Son, 23, Kill His Teen Girlfriend

A mother is being accused of repeatedly lying to law enforcement while trying to cover up the alleged murder of her son's teenage girlfriend in Michigan.

On Friday, Oct. 17, Charla Pendergrass, 49, and her son Jalen, 23, were each charged with one count of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of 17-year-old London Thomas, CBS News and Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ reported.

During their arraignment hearing in Wayne County, the prosecutor’s office accused Charla of showing a “willingness to be deceptive.”

"This is a case where I believe the evidence will be abundant that both defendants, but particularly Ms. Charla Pendergrass, engaged in an extended campaign to lie to police, lie to law enforcement to cover up her actions," said the prosecutor’s office in video footage from the hearing, per WXYZ.

The prosecutor demanded a high cash bond as a result of the serious nature of the charges.

Thomas was found dead in a plastic bin inside a vehicle on April 26, having previously been reported missing on April 5.

The vehicle is believed to have been parked in Southfield for two weeks before the discovery, WXYZ reported, citing Inkster police, Detroit police, the FBI and Michigan State Police.

A man claiming to be Charla’s friend alleged to police that she asked him to “transport a sealed plastic bin.” He said he placed the bin in the SUV, where Thomas’ remains were eventually found on April 11, per WXYZ.

London Thomas

A medical examiner determined Thomas’ cause of death to be asphyxia, per CBS News. The death was ruled a homicide.

Jalen was denied bond during Friday's hearing, while Charla received a cash bond set at $5 million. A probable cause conference is scheduled for Oct. 22, per WXYZ.

The pair maintain their innocence in the alleged crimes and are expected to plead not guilty to the charges, their attorneys told WXYZ.

"I'm so angry and I'm so happy and satisfied at the same time," Cedric Salisbury, Thomas' father, told CBS News after the arraignment. "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." 

Jalen was arrested and charged in connection with a previous case, while Charla was previously arrested on charges of lying to a peace officer. The charges were later dismissed, per WXYZ.