Overview
- The judge sentenced Jalen Pendergrass to 25–50 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 2.
- The court credited Pendergrass with 294 days already served and several other charges were dismissed under his plea agreement.
- Prosecutors say a friend of the co-defendant provided a tip that led investigators to a sealed plastic bin later found in an SUV containing Thomas’s body.
- A Wayne County medical examiner ruled the cause of death as asphyxia and the manner of death as homicide.
- Charla Pendergrass remains charged with first-degree murder, tampering and related counts and is scheduled for trial on October 26, 2026, which will determine whether the case is fully resolved.