A three-year-old girl died in her upstate New York home from acute and chronic neglect, a court was informed. Joycelynn Dylewski was found struggling to breathe on February 19, 2025, in an apartment in Corinth. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later died. An autopsy ruled her death a homicide, citing a severe lice infestation that led to anemia, which damaged her heart and other organs.
Her parents, Matthew and Samantha Dylewski, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. This month, they were sentenced to the maximum of up to four years in prison. The court also issued a restraining order prohibiting them from contacting their four surviving children until 2038.
Investigators found the apartment in a squalid condition, with walls covered in grime, scattered garbage, and stained carpets. Insects, including a dead cockroach, were found on the child's body, and her teeth were described as "rotten and black."
During sentencing, Saratoga County First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Buckley presented evidence, including text messages between the parents, suggesting they discussed administering clonidine, a blood pressure medication found in Joycelynn's system, to the child. Samantha Dylewski initially claimed her daughter's death was her own fault, stating Joycelynn fought her when she tried to treat the lice. She also suggested her son inadvertently gave Joycelynn the medication. However, text messages indicated a conversation about giving the drug to Joycelynn, and an internet search for how long it would stay in the system was made shortly after her death.
Samantha Dylewski addressed the court, expressing remorse for failing to protect her children. "As their mother, it's my duty to protect them from harm, and I failed," she stated. Matthew Dylewski told the court he wished he had died instead of his daughter.
Following the sentencing, New York State Senator James Tedisco and Assemblyman Matt Simpson have proposed legislation named "Joycelynn's Law." If enacted, the law would increase the maximum sentence for criminally negligent homicide to 20 years.
Saratoga County Judge James R. Davis described the couple's presentence report as the "most horrific he has ever read," emphasizing that the child suffered for an extended period due to their neglect.
The neglect extended beyond the lice infestation, with evidence of flies, rotting food, and a clogged kitchen sink found in the home.
