Miami Standard (Multnomah County, OG) – An Oregon woman has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison after years of neglecting her boyfriend’s young son, whose weight plummeted to under 40 pounds by the time he was 8 years old. Jamie Strahm, 34, was convicted earlier this month of two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment, as confirmed by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

On Friday, District Judge Leslie Bottomly sentenced Strahm to 90 days for the first count and 20 months for the second. The sentences will run consecutively, totaling 23 months, just one month shy of two years. Strahm had been responsible for the boy’s care for several years, starting when the child was just 4 years old.

Prosecutors revealed that Strahm and the boy’s father began dating in 2014. A year later, when the boy was 4, he suffered an unexplained brain injury, requiring an extended hospital stay. At that time, he weighed approximately 45 pounds and was in the 85th percentile for his age. After being sent home with a G-tube for feeding, the boy’s health deteriorated under Strahm’s care.

Despite the boy’s need for medical attention and proper nutrition, Strahm allegedly failed to provide the necessary care, and his weight continued to decline. By April 2018, the boy had dropped to the 13th percentile in weight. Strahm also missed several doctor appointments, further compounding the child’s condition.

In October 2019, Strahm finally took the boy to see a dietician. At that time, the 8-year-old was described as “extremely thin and frail,” weighing less than 40 pounds. He was admitted to a children’s hospital where, upon Strahm’s absence, the boy was able to eat on his own. In a matter of weeks, the boy gained 10 pounds, proving he did not require the feeding tube as Strahm had claimed.

A jury convicted Strahm on March 7, finding that she “intentionally and knowingly” withheld food and medical care from the child, causing significant harm. Strahm’s actions sparked outrage from the boy’s biological mother, Loreena Menzel, who expressed frustration over the light sentence. “How is it acceptable that she got under two years?” Menzel said in an interview with Portland NBC affiliate KGW.

“I just want the opportunity to be able to fix the mistakes I have made as a mom, to repair the damage that I have caused,” she reportedly said.

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