OSWEGO -- The parents of a murdered girl are now out of jail after serving time for her neglect.

Lindsey and Lynn Maxwell, the father and stepmother of 11-year-old Erin Maxwell, have been released from jail after serving nearly two years on endangering the welfare of a child convictions. The Maxwells were each found guilty of two counts of child endangerment in August of 2009, approximately a year after their daughter was found dead in their home in Palermo.

Though the Maxwells were not home at the time of Erin’s death, they were arrested for allowing her to live in what police called ‘deplorable’ conditions, which included piles of garbage, feces, and dead animals littered throughout the residence. Police said that Erin was kept locked in her room at times, and the door was made of fencing and wire.

Erin Maxwell's biological mother, Ryann Andress, was living in Nevada at the time of her daughter's death. She says she reliquinshed parental rights to Erin years ago.

Erin’s stepbrother (and Lynn’s son) Alan Jones was convicted of second degree murder for Erin’s death. He was accused of hanging her with a rope from her bedroom window. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.

Erin’s death prompted an outcry from the community, and a closer look into child neglect laws. The Oswego County Department of Social Services says it has changed the way it handles these sorts of cases, and a federal program enacted in 2009 called “Erin’s Law” is intended to help financially struggling communities hire more social workers to protect children.