Court sentences couple for death of 3-year-old daughter in New York caused by severe lice infestation
A couple were sentenced to four years in prison this month after their three-year-old daughter died from a lethal lice infestation.
Joycelynn Ann Dylewski, just three years old, passed away on February 19, 2025, due to the extremely unsanitary conditions of the apartment in Corinth, New York, where she lived with her parents, Matthew Dylewski (34) and Samantha Dylewski (33). The property, filled with rubbish and rubble, was so dilapidated that it was subsequently closed off, a shocking reflection of the extreme child neglect that led to the tragedy.
When rescued from the house, the child had decaying teeth. A disturbing detail was a cockroach falling out of the girl’s winter hat as the piece was removed from her head.
On June 22, during Matthew’s sentencing, Saratoga County Judge James Davis was emphatic: “You have failed as a father.” He stressed that the main responsibility was to ensure the safety of the child. The judge added that the girl, just three years old, was entirely dependent on her parents, and the tragic outcome was completely avoidable, classifying the situation as “inadmissible”.
Samantha had previously received her sentence, on June 8. The couple will serve at least one year and three months in prison.
The girl was diagnosed with anemia, which damaged her heart and organs due to lice infestation.
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The parents pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide earlier this year.
Matthew expressed remorse at the time of the sentencing, stating that he wished the tragedy had not occurred.
Matthew and Samantha were banned from being close to the couple’s other four children until the year 2038.
