A Clawson mother charged in the killing of 17-year-old London Thomas is asking a judge to throw out her murder count, according to a new court filing that adds another twist to a case already gripping Metro Detroit and pulling in multiple law enforcement agencies.
Defense asks judge to toss murder charge
Defense attorneys for Charla Pendergrass have filed a motion urging the court to dismiss the homicide charge, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The outlet noted the filing but did not publish the full motion or spell out the specific legal theories Pendergrass’ team is using to attack the charge.
Case background and charges
Wayne County prosecutors charged 23-year-old Jalen Pendergrass and his mother, Charla Rashida Pendergrass, in October 2025, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors allege Thomas was reported missing on April 5, 2025, and her body was discovered April 26 inside an SUV in Southfield. The Oakland County medical examiner determined she died by asphyxia and ruled the case a homicide. Pendergrass was first taken into custody on a separate charge of lying to investigators, a count that was later dismissed under state law, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Preliminary hearing and current posture
At a preliminary hearing in January, a district judge ordered both defendants to stand trial on first-degree murder, felony murder, unlawful imprisonment and tampering with evidence, as reported by Scripps/CourtTV. Prosecutors told the court that investigators from the Michigan State Police, Detroit Police and the FBI built the case they plan to present to jurors.
Legal implications
Under Michigan law and procedure, a district court must bind a defendant over for trial if the judge finds probable cause. Any later motion to quash or dismiss in circuit court is reviewed under that higher court’s standards, according to the Michigan courts' benchbook. Defense counsel has said the case has already seen earlier dismissals. “We started out in this court, it was dismissed,” one attorney argued, as reported by Scripps/CourtTV.
Family reaction and next steps
Thomas’ relatives have previously said that seeing charges filed brought some measure of clarity after months of uncertainty, according to CBS News Detroit. The newly filed defense motion will now land in front of a judge, who will decide whether the murder charge against Charla Pendergrass survives or is tossed as the case continues through the Wayne County courts.
