"I killed my son Johnny."They were the words that helped convince the NSW Parole Authority yesterday that South Coast murderer Angelic Karstrom (formerly known as Gunn-Britt Ashfield) had finally acknowledged her crime and was ready for early release from jail.Karstrom, who appeared by video link for yesterday's public hearing in Parramatta, showed little emotion when told she would be eligible for release in a fortnight, a year before the expiration of her 19-year sentence.Karstrom, 43, with her de facto Austen Hughes, subjected her six-year-old son John Ashfield to a horrific beating at their Nowra home in August, 1993.The couple tried to cover their tracks by calling a media conference and blaming a group of teenagers in a nearby park for the boy's extensive injuries.For reasons never clearly defined, they subjected the boy to a two-hour frenzy of violence in which he was punched, kicked and struck on the head with a hammer.They also slammed his head into the bathroom tiles, shoved him in a cold shower and, as a final humiliation, dressed him in his sister's clothes.The couple eventually pleaded guilty to murder but each tried to minimise their role.State Parole Authority chairman Ian Pike, however, said yesterday Karstrom's early release with conditions was considered to be in the public interest despite strong opposition from the state and family members.The fact she had used language such as "I killed my son Johnny" to psychologists who prepared pre-release reports was considered one of the most significant developments in her rehabilitation because "it acknowledges her responsibility in the offence", Mr Pike said.If yesterday's decision gave Karstrom any joy, it was tempered by the emotionally charged confrontation with her estranged daughter, Melissa Ashfield, who at the age of three witnessed the sickening attack along with her three surviving brothers.Karstrom looked physically ill and moved to leave the room temporarily when Ms Ashfield stood to deliver her tirade.Ms Ashfield pleaded for the authority to ban Karstrom after release from ever visiting her brother's grave site, saying it was her family's most treasured link with John.Lawyer David Kell, representing the state, said the crime was so hideous it could not be in the public's interest to release Karstrom before her term expired.He cited part of Justice Jeremy Badgery Parker's sentencing judgment in 1994: "One can readily imagine the terror and despair of the child as those he thought loved him treated him with such hideous brutality."Karstrom's lawyer, Will Hutchins, said while he could understand the family's anger, conditional release was important to protect the community, the family and to help the prisoner assimilate into the community.After a short adjournment the authority returned its decision imposing conditions which included electronic monitoring, abstinence from alcohol and drugs and a ban on visiting or living in the Illawarra or Hunter regions.Added to that list was a ban on visiting the victim's grave site under any circumstances.