The parents of a 3-year-old New York girl whose death was later ruled a homicide have now accepted a plea deal in the case. Samantha and Matthew Dylewski both pleaded guilty on March 31 in Saratoga County Court to felony criminally negligent homicide in the death of their daughter, Joycelynn Dylewski.
According to local reports, emergency crews were called to the family’s Corinth home in February 2025 after Joycelynn was found struggling to breathe. She was taken to Saratoga Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Months later, authorities said her death had been ruled a homicide caused by acute and chronic neglect.
The living conditions became a major part of the case
Investigators said the apartment was in extreme unsanitary condition, and photos later showed rooms filled with trash, debris, and soiled furniture. Officials ultimately condemned the home, with local reporting describing it as unfit for human occupancy.
That is what made the case feel bigger than one terrible medical emergency. Prosecutors were not only looking at the child’s death, but at the kind of environment they say all five children had been living in. Both parents were initially charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count tied to each child in the home.
The plea deal closes one chapter, but not the case
The criminal case kept growing after the original arrests. Court records and local reporting show the Dylewskis were later accused more than once of violating orders of protection that barred contact with their surviving children.
Now, after the guilty pleas, prosecutors say both parents are expected to receive the maximum sentence of 1⅓ to 4 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 5.
What makes this case especially hard to read past is that it did not end with a sudden unexplained loss. Authorities say a 3-year-old died in conditions they considered dangerously neglectful, and the plea means her parents have now admitted criminal responsibility for that death.
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