SCHENECTADY - Marybeth Tinning, the Schenectady mother convicted 30 years ago in the smothering death of her infant daughter and suspected in the killings of seven of her eight other young children, will soon be a free woman.

After being rebuffed six times before, Tinning, now 75 years old, was granted parole this month by the state Board of Parole, according to an agency spokesman. She is currently in the Taconic Correctional Facility and has been eligible for parole since May 30, 2007.

Even when she is released from prison, which could be as early as Aug. 21, Tinning will have to adhere to conditions, including a curfew, domestic violence counseling and finding a job or academic-vocational program. She will be under parole supervision for the rest of her life.

In 1987, Tinning was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison, convicted in the smothering death of her 4-month-old daughter, Tami Lynne, on Dec. 20, 1985.

Tinning was also suspected, but never tried in the deaths of seven of her eight other children over the course of 14 years while the family lived in Schenectady.

For years, she denied that she killed Tami Lynne but began to change her story after her initial appearances in front of the parole board.

"After the deaths of my other children ... I just lost it," Tinning told the board Jan. 26, 2011. "(I) became a damaged worthless piece of person and when my daughter was young, in my state of mind at that time, I just believed that she was going to die also. So I just did it."

Tami Lynne was among nine of Tinning's children, including an adopted son, who did not live beyond the age of 4. Authorities suspected Tinning's first child died naturally but that she killed the other eight.

The criminal case was prosecuted by then Schenectady County District Attorney John Poersch's office. Tinning was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years to life.

The alleged killings went unnoticed for years, but State Police investigators questioned Tinning after Tami Lynne's death. William Barnes, a State Police investigator who went on to serve two terms as Schenectady County sheriff, got Tinning to confess.

Adding even more intrigue to the Tinning tragedy was the fact that she was also suspected of though never charged with trying to poison her husband, Joseph. She was never charged with the crime.

He continued to visit her during her three decades of incarceration.

She could end up staying with Joseph Tinning in Delanson where he now lives. As of Monday, the state had not approved a residence for Tinning, another requirement of her release.

District Attorney Robert Carney, who has previously opposed Tinning's release, said Monday that he still has his doubts about her rehabilitation but doesn't think she is a public threat.

"The thing that always concerned me about her is that she never has acknowledged the extent of what she did," he said. "I don't know if she really has any insight into her own behavior and it's hard to think somebody is rehabilitated if they're not able to do that."

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco said in a news release that Tinning should remain in jail forever and called for the decision to be rescinded.

"People who kills cops and kids should never see the light of day let alone be paroled,"

the statement said in part. "This is a total disgrace and an affront to the victims and the safety of the public."

He urged lawmakers to pass two separate bills that call for life in prison for persistent violent offenders and life in prison without parole for a person convicted of first-degree murder.