Corinth, New York — A case that has shaken Saratoga County to its core has ended with both parents sentenced to prison after their 3-year-old daughter, Joycelynn, died under conditions so horrifying that the professional cleaner hired to clear the apartment said he had never seen anything like it in his career.
Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, each received the maximum sentence of 16 months to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Both parents were also ordered to have no contact with their four surviving children until June 2038.
First responders were called to the family’s Corinth apartment on February 19, 2025, after the parents reported Joycelynn was having difficulty breathing. She was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
What investigators discovered inside the apartment was deeply disturbing. State Police officers reported their boots sticking to the floors. Walls, carpets and surfaces were heavily stained. Sinks were clogged, and dead flies and insects covered the unit. The building was condemned the same day the parents were arraigned in court. A local building inspector described it as one of the worst properties he had ever encountered.
Joycelynn’s condition reflected the neglect she endured. She suffered from a severe lice infestation so extreme it caused anemia. Her teeth were black and rotten, her hair was matted, and she had not seen a doctor in the final ten months of her life — the only child in the household without medical care.
Investigators also discovered clonidine, a blood pressure medication she was never prescribed, in her system. Text messages recovered during the investigation showed both parents had discussed administering the drug to her.
Following the sentencing, New York lawmakers proposed Joycelynn’s Law, which would raise the maximum sentence for criminally negligent homicide from 4 years to 20 years — ensuring no future case like hers results in such a limited punishment.
