Gray screen, did pram reset now black screen?

I have a macbook 2009 A1342 that I bought at a yard sale for cheap. The sellers couldn't tell me anything about it. I was hoping to fix it since it can turn on.

At first it was booting to a gray screen with no chime. I did a SMC reset but that did not change anything. I was still getting a blank gray screen.

So then I did a PRAM reset and I got a chime. However, now when I turn it on but the screen remains dark.

When I turn it on, the sleep light turns on, I get a chime and then the sleep light turns off. The screen remains dark. When I close the lid while it's turned on, the sleep light turns on and when I open it again the sleep light turns off and the screen remains dark. So it's not going into sleep mode right away or anything.

I also tried shining a flashlight through the apple on the top of the clamshell but I don't see anything. So it's not a backlight issue.

Also I tried an external display but that gives me nothing.

It's weird. I know the display works because I was getting a gray screen with no chime. When I did the PRAM reset it started booting with a chime but a black screen.

Not sure where to go from here. Does anyone have any ideas?