A New York couple has been sentenced to prison after their 3-year-old daughter died from severe neglect inside a filthy, hoarder-like home.
Matthew and Samantha Dylewski, from Corinth in Saratoga County, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the death of their daughter, Joycelynn Ann Dylewski. Both parents received the maximum sentence of 1⅓ to 4 years in state prison.
Joycelynn died in February 2025 after suffering from what authorities described as acute and chronic neglect. Investigators said the little girl had an untreated severe lice infestation, anemia, badly decayed teeth, and had not received proper medical care for months.
Medical findings also showed that clonidine, a prescription blood pressure medication not prescribed to her, was found in her system. Prosecutors said the neglect caused her body to weaken and led to fatal damage to her heart and organs.
Authorities described the family’s home as unsafe, filthy, and infested with bugs. The residence was later condemned because of the conditions inside. Reports said investigators found garbage, pests, and severe unsanitary conditions throughout the home.
The case became even more disturbing after reports said Samantha Dylewski posted a fundraiser for funeral expenses the day after Joycelynn’s death. The request sparked outrage because prosecutors later said the child’s death was preventable and caused by long-term neglect.
During sentencing, the judge strongly criticized the parents and said they had failed their daughter in a horrific way. Matthew Dylewski expressed remorse in court and said he wished he had died instead of his daughter. Samantha Dylewski also apologized, but the court imposed the maximum sentence allowed under the charge.
The couple has also been ordered to have no contact with their four surviving children until 2038. Authorities said the other children had also suffered from neglect, and the court’s order was intended to protect them from further harm.
The sentence has sparked anger from lawmakers, child advocates, and members of the public who believe the punishment is too light for the death of a child. Under current New York law, criminally negligent homicide carries a maximum sentence of 1⅓ to 4 years in prison.
In response, New York lawmakers have proposed “Joycelynn’s Law,” a bill that would increase penalties for criminally negligent homicide when the victim is a child. Supporters say the law is needed so future cases involving fatal child neglect can carry much longer prison sentences.
The proposed legislation would raise the penalty from a lower-level felony to a much more serious charge, allowing sentences of up to 20 years to life in prison in certain child death cases.
Joycelynn’s death has become a painful symbol of how severe neglect can be deadly when warning signs are ignored and children are left without care. Officials and advocates say the tragedy should lead to stronger protections, better reporting, and tougher consequences for adults who fail to protect children.
The case has also raised questions about how families in extreme hoarding or unsafe living conditions are monitored, and whether more intervention could prevent similar deaths in the future.
For now, Matthew and Samantha Dylewski are beginning their prison sentences, while Joycelynn’s name is being used by lawmakers seeking to change New York’s child neglect laws.
Her death remains a heartbreaking reminder that child neglect is not simply poor parenting. In severe cases, it can become fatal.
