A 3-year-old girl in upstate New York died after she was severely neglected inside her family’s home, where investigators say they found a deadly lice infestation and badly decayed teeth, according to the New York Post.
Joycelynn Ann Dylewski reportedly died on February 19, 2025, due to the squalid conditions inside her parents’ apartment in Corinth. Her parents, Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, were both sentenced this month, per the outlet.
Investigators said they found bugs on the girl’s face and scalp, and a cockroach allegedly fell out of her winter hat when it was removed from her head. An investigator also reportedly found her teeth “rotten and black.”
Judge delivers sentence as parents face up to four years in prison
The couple was hit with up to four years in prison this month after they pleaded to criminally negligent homicide earlier this year, The Times Union reported. Saratoga County Judge James Davis sentenced Matthew Dylewski on Monday to a term of 1 1/3 to four years in prison.
“You failed as a parent,” Davis told Matthew Dylewski. He added, “Your entire job was to keep her safe.” The little girl was diagnosed with anemia, which damaged her heart and organs due to the lice, and she was also dosed with a blood pressure medication, clonidine, Saratoga County Sheriff Jeffrey Brown said.
“She was a 3-year-old, and you failed in the most horrific way,” Davis added. “She was completely reliant upon you. … This was completely preventable, and it’s unconscionable, and I want you to think about that fact.”
Rooms in the home were stuffed with garbage and debris, and the conditions were said to be so bad that the property was condemned, according to WRGB. The case is one of several recent New York incidents in which young people have died, including a 12-year-old boy’s death linked to a viral challenge.
At his sentencing, Matthew Dylewski appeared to express regret. “I totally wish that it didn’t happen,” Matthew Dylewski 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 was reportedly sentenced on June 8 by the same judge who handled her husband’s case, and she received the maximum sentence as well. “Your daughter suffered over a long period of time,” Davis told her. “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.”
Both parents are said to be prohibited from having any contact with their four surviving children until 2038. The sentencing comes as other New York families have faced tragedy, including the father of triplets killed in an NYC crash.
Published: Jun 25, 2026 11:40 am