A Lakeview mother and her boyfriend have been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in the death of 17-year-old Thomas Strong, an autistic teen whose school and child-welfare records showed warning signs before he died. The case ended this week with two sentences that ensure both defendants will spend decades behind bars before they can even seek parole.
Nathan Cullins, 30, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 35 years after his conviction for first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and first-degree criminal mistreatment. Amanda Edwards, 40, was sentenced Monday to life with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years after being convicted of second-degree murder by abuse, abuse of a corpse and first-degree criminal mistreatment, as reported by OregonLive.
What Investigators Found In Lakeview
The case began on Feb. 18, 2025, when law enforcement and Oregon Department of Human Services child-welfare workers went to Edwards’ Lakeview home to serve a court-ordered protection order. Authorities found Strong’s body inside a cardboard box in the garage, according to an account released by the Lake County District Attorney’s Office and published by Elkhorn Media Group.
Court records described prolonged abuse before Strong’s death, including widespread bruising, broken ribs and internal injuries. His cause of death was blunt-force trauma, and investigators uncovered videos documenting abuse, according to the OregonLive report.
Edwards had withdrawn Strong from Lakeview High School and refused multiple attempts by school and child-welfare workers to help him. Oregon DHS began receiving reports alleging abuse and neglect in the household in November 2024, months before Strong was found dead.
A Teen Remembered By Lakeview
Strong would have graduated with Lakeview High School’s class of 2026 and would have turned 17 the day before his body was found. A memorial obituary described him as a beloved student who enjoyed drawing, cooking class, camping, fishing and pulling his red wagon around town.
The Sentences Follow Scrutiny Of Oregon’s Child Welfare System
The convictions also arrive amid renewed scrutiny of how Oregon handled warnings about Strong’s safety. Disability Rights Oregon’s independent review said the state rejected earlier abuse reports, relied too heavily on parental cooperation and failed to maintain regular direct contact with the teenager; those are findings about agency performance, not criminal charges against state workers.
OPB reported that the review alleged the state’s social-safety net did not do enough to protect Strong, while Disability Rights Oregon called for safety planning and more direct contact with children who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Parole Eligibility Is Not Automatic Release
Under Oregon’s murder statutes, a life sentence with parole eligibility requires a prisoner to complete a minimum period of confinement before petitioning for a parole hearing. The Oregon Legislature says the parole board must then evaluate whether the person is likely to be rehabilitated, meaning the 25-year and 35-year terms in this case are minimum points for possible consideration—not guarantees of release.
For Lakeview, the criminal cases against Edwards and Cullins are now at the sentencing stage, but the questions raised by Strong’s death extend beyond the courtroom. They include how a vulnerable teenager could be withdrawn from school, lose access to outside oversight and remain in danger despite repeated warnings.
