PARENTS JAILED FOR DEATH OF THREE-YEAR-OLD IN NEGLECTED HOME

Matthew Dylewski and Samantha Dylewski have been jailed following the death of their three-year-old daughter Joycelynn Ann Dylewski in Corinth, upstate New York. Both parents admitted criminally negligent homicide in connection with Joycelynn's death on 19 February 2025. Saratoga County Judge James Davis sentenced each parent to one and one-third to four years in prison. The sentencing followed months of investigation into the conditions within the family's apartment.

Investigators documented severe neglect at the property, which was later condemned by officials. Examination of Joycelynn revealed insects on her face and scalp, with a cockroach reportedly falling from her hat when removed. Her teeth were described in local reports as "rotten and black". Authorities determined that an untreated lice infestation had caused anaemia, which damaged her heart and other organs. Joycelynn had also been administered clonidine, a medication typically used to treat high blood pressure. Officials stated that the combination of these factors led to her death.

During sentencing, Judge Davis addressed the father directly, stating: "You failed as a parent. Your entire job was to keep her safe." The judge noted that Joycelynn had been "completely reliant" on her parents and that her death was "completely preventable". Matthew Dylewski told the court that he thinks about his daughter constantly and expressed that he wished he had died instead of her.