A mother and father in the US have admitted to criminally negligent homicide after their daughter, three, died. A judge jailed Matthew Dylewski, 34, and Samantha Dylewski, 33, as authorities said the girl died from severe neglect. The pair had pleaded guilty in connection with the 2025 death of their daughter Joycelynn, according to reports from CBS 6, WNYT and News10 ABC. Both received the maximum sentence of 16 months to four years in New York State prison.

Joycelynn Dylewski died last February after it was reported that she was unable to breathe in the family's home in Corinth, New York. She was taken to hospital where she later died. A statement from New York State Senator Jim Tedisco revealed that her death was later ruled a homicide by the sheriff’s office due to complications of "acute and chronic neglect". Investigators found the girl with severely matted hair and living in unsanitary conditions.

Additionally, she had suffered from a severe lice infestation that went untreated for weeks, and possibly months, ultimately leading to anaemia.

It was also revealed that she had not received medical attention in ten months and that her teeth were severely decayed.

Following her death, Senator Jim Tedisco, Assemblyman Matt Simpson and Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby are now calling for new state legislation, “Joycelynn’s Law,” to increase the maximum prison sentence for criminally negligent homicide of a child to 20 years to life.

Authorities also said the prescription medication clonidine was found in her system, even though it had not been prescribed to her.

"Joycelynn Dylewski deserved a happy childhood and to grow up and reach her full potential in a loving home," Tedisco said. " What she endured as a three-year-old child at the hands of her parents is sickening and unimaginable.

"This was premeditated criminal neglect of a child! Her death wasn’t caused by a fit of anger and one or two violent acts toward Joycelynn but in premeditated actions over a period of time!

"Even to the extent that her cries of pain and anguish were silenced by an illicit drug. Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby prosecuted Joycelynn’s parents to the full extent of the law and got the maximum sentence that’s currently available to judges.

‘Joycelynn’s Law’ named in Joycelynn Dylewski’s memory, would change the law so those convicted of criminally negligent homicide of a child get real prison time of 20 years to life instead of the current maximum of 1 and 1/3 to 4 years, so the sentence reflects the severity of the crime.