Joycelynn Dylewski: Parents Sentenced to Prison After 3-Year-Old Daughter Dies in Filthy Upstate New York Apartment

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The parents of a 3-year-old girl who died in their Corinth, New York, apartment last year have been given the maximum prison time allowed under the law for their roles in the tragic case.

Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, each received sentences of 16 months to 4 years in state prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide. 


Joycelynn Dylewski 


Their young daughter, Joycelynn, was pronounced dead at a hospital on February 19, 2025, after first responders were called to the family's apartment when the parents reported she was having trouble breathing.

What authorities discovered during their investigation painted a disturbing picture of the conditions inside the home where the Dylewskis and their five children, all under the age of 17, were living. 

Investigators from the New York State Police reported that their boots actually stuck to the apartment floors, which were covered in stains and overrun with insects. 

The sinks were clogged and unusable, and the walls and carpets showed signs of severe neglect, as reported by Law & Crime.

The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office determined that the home was dangerous not only for Joycelynn but for all the children living there. 

Village Building Inspector Neil Hepner described the apartment as being among the worst he had ever seen, and the property was condemned on the same day the parents were arraigned in court.

Mathew Dylewski at his sentencing


Dan Shippee, who owns a cleaning company hired to clear out the apartment after the couple's arrest, told local news that he had no idea what he was walking into until shortly before arriving at the scene. 

He described having to shovel trash off the floor and noted that the apartment was covered in dead flies and bugs. Shippee emphasized that people needed to see the conditions firsthand to understand what led to the little girl's death.

The investigation revealed that Joycelynn had been suffering from a severe lice infestation that was so extreme it caused her to become anemic. 

Samantha Dylewski reportedly told authorities that her daughter fought too much when she tried to apply treatment for the infestation. 

The child's teeth were black and rotten, her hair was severely matted, and she had not received any medical care during the final 10 months of her life. 

According to police reports, she was the only child in the household who had not been taken to a doctor.

Perhaps most alarming was the discovery that Joycelynn had clonidine, a blood pressure medication, in her system at the time of her death. The child did not have a heart condition and had never been prescribed the drug. 

Samantha Dylewski 


While Samantha Dylewski initially tried to blame one of her other children for giving the medication to Joycelynn, investigators uncovered text messages between the parents that proved they had discussed giving the drug to the little girl.

First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Buckley presented these findings to the court during the proceedings. The manner of Joycelynn's death was officially ruled a homicide.

Now that both parents have been sentenced, they have been ordered to have no contact with their four surviving children until June 2038. 

State Senator James Tedisco and Assemblyman Matt Simpson have proposed new legislation in response to the case. The proposed Joycelynn's Law would significantly increase the maximum sentence for criminally negligent homicide from its current limit to 20 years in prison.

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