US3 min(s) read
Published 16:16 25 Jun 2026 GMT
A couple has been sentenced after their three-year-old daughter died in what authorities described as horrific living conditions, with a judge telling the parents they had completely failed in their duty to protect her.
Joycelynn Ann Dylewski, three, died on February 19, 2025, after enduring severe neglect inside her family's apartment in Corinth, upstate New York.
Investigators said the conditions in the home were so poor that the child suffered a serious lice infestation, severe anemia, and extensive dental decay.
According to reports, authorities found bugs crawling on Joycelynn's face and scalp when they arrived at the property.
An investigator also allegedly discovered that her teeth were "rotten and black." In another disturbing detail, a cockroach reportedly fell from the child's winter hat when it was removed.
Prosecutors said the young girl developed anemia caused by the prolonged lice infestation, which damaged her heart and other organs. Saratoga County Sheriff Jeffrey Brown also stated that the child had been given clonidine, a medication typically used to treat high blood pressure.
Following the tragedy, Joycelynn's parents, Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Both were sentenced to prison terms of up to four years.
During Matthew Dylewski's sentencing, Saratoga County Judge James Davis delivered a scathing rebuke.
"You failed as a parent," the judge told him. "Your entire job was to keep her safe."
Davis continued: "She was a three-year-old, and you failed in the most horrific way.
"She was completely reliant upon you. … This was completely preventable, and it's unconscionable, and I want you to think about that fact."
Authorities described the family's residence as a hoarder home filled with garbage and debris. The conditions were reportedly so unsafe that the property was later condemned.
Speaking before receiving his sentence, Matthew Dylewski expressed regret over his daughter's death.
"I totally wish that it didn't happen," he said. "I wish it would be that I died instead of my daughter. I still think that to this day. … I constantly think about it. Nothing is ever going to change. I still want to die so I can be with her."
Samantha Dylewski appeared before the same judge days earlier and received a similar sentence. Judge Davis told her that Joycelynn's suffering had been ongoing and visible.
"Your daughter suffered over a long period of time," he said.
"Even the other children could see that she suffered because of your neglect. It's a gift to have a child. You had several children, and all of them suffered at your hands."
In addition to their prison sentences, both parents have been barred from contacting their four surviving children until 2038.
Addressing the court, Samantha Dylewski accepted responsibility for failing to protect her family.
"As their mother, it's my duty to protect them from harm, and I failed," she said.
The heartbreaking case has shocked the local community, with prosecutors and investigators describing Joycelynn's death as entirely preventable had appropriate care and living conditions been provided.
