Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, were sentenced to the maximum term of 16 months to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of their 3-year-old daughter, Joycelynn. The couple was arrested following an incident on Feb. 19, 2025, when they called first responders to their apartment in Corinth, New York, reporting that their daughter was having trouble breathing.
Background
Joycelynn Dylewski was one of five children under the age of 17 living in the family's upstate New York home. According to investigators, she was the only child in the household who had not received any medical care—she had not seen a doctor in the final 10 months of her life.
When Saratoga County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the apartment complex on that February morning, they found conditions described by officials as among the worst they had ever encountered. Corinth Village Building Inspector Neil Hepner told local news outlet Times-Union that the home was "one of the worst" he had seen in his career.
Dan Shippee, owner of Phoenix Property Maintenance—a cleaning company tasked with clearing out the apartment after Joycelynn's death and the couple's arrests—spoke to CBS affiliate WRGB about the scene. "I've never really been in too many places where I had to shovel so much trash off the floor," Shippee said. "There were dead flies and bugs all over that apartment." He added, "People need to see to understand why that little girl died."
The Investigation
Saratoga County First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Buckley told the court that investigators' boots stuck to the floors of the residence, which was overrun by lice and other insects. The sinks were clogged, and the walls, carpets, and floors were stained.
According to reporting by local ABC affiliate WTEN, Joycelynn suffered from a lice infestation so severe that she had become anemic—a condition caused by prolonged blood loss from insect feeding. Samantha Dylewski told authorities that she had not treated her daughter's condition because "she fought her too much when she tried to apply treatment."
The autopsy revealed additional disturbing details about the child's condition. Joycelynn's teeth were black and rotten, her hair was matted, and she had clonidine—a blood pressure medication—in her system at the time of her death. Investigators determined that the child did not have a heart condition and had never been prescribed the medication.
Buckley told the court that while Samantha Dylewski initially attempted to blame one of her other children for giving Joycelynn the clonidine, investigators found text messages proving that both parents had discussed administering the medication to the little girl. The child's manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Sentencing
Both defendants pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. On Monday, Saratoga County Judge Patricia A. Gifford imposed the maximum sentence on both parents—16 months to 4 years in state prison. Additionally, both were ordered to have no contact with their four surviving children until June 2038.
Following Matthew Dylewski's sentencing, New York State Sen. James Tedisco and Assemblyman Matt Simpson announced they would propose legislation dubbed "Joycelynn's Law," which would increase the maximum sentence for criminally negligent homicide from 4 years to 20 years.
Key Takeaways
- Joycelynn Dylewski died after a lice infestation so severe it caused her to become anemic, according to investigators
- The child's teeth were black and rotten; she had clonidine in her system at death but was never prescribed the medication
- Investigators found text messages showing both parents discussed giving the blood pressure medication to their daughter
- Apartment conditions were described as "one of the worst" by a building inspector; deputies' boots stuck to floors covered in trash, dead insects
- Joycelynn had not seen a doctor in her final 10 months and was the only one of five children without medical care
- Both parents received maximum sentences of 16 months to 4 years and cannot contact surviving children until 2038
What's Next
The Dylewskis will serve their sentences in the New York State prison system. Meanwhile, Joycelynn's Law faces an uncertain path through the state legislature. The apartment where the family lived was condemned on the day the defendants were arraigned.