Parents jailed over death of girl, 3, found covered in lice in filth-filled home

Joycelynn Dylewski died after suffering prolonged neglect at the hands of her parents, prosecutors said (Picture: Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)

A judge has jailed the parents of a three year-old girl who died after enduring months of neglect inside a home that was so filthy that it was later condemned.

Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, admitted criminally negligent homicide over the death of their daughter Joycelynn Ann Dylewski in Corinth, upstate New York.

The case centred on the conditions that Joycelynn was forced to live in before her death on February 19, 2025. Investigators described scenes that shocked even experienced officers.

When the little girl was examined, bugs were found on her face and scalp. A cockroach reportedly fell from her hat when it was removed.