If you were following the news back in 2009, you probably remember the name Tylar Witt. It was one of those cases that felt like a dark movie script—a 14-year-old girl in an upscale El Dorado Hills neighborhood, a secret relationship with an older guy, and a mother who was just trying to protect her daughter.
Then things went horribly wrong. Joanne Witt was murdered.
For years, the question where is Tylar Witt now had a very specific, static answer: the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. But that answer changed recently, and honestly, the update might surprise people who haven't kept tabs on the legal fallout.
The 2023 Release: Where Is Tylar Witt Now?
Basically, Tylar Witt is no longer in prison.
After serving roughly 13 years of her sentence, she was granted parole on August 26, 2022. She officially walked out of those prison gates in 2023. This was a massive shift in a case that many thought would keep her behind bars for the better part of her adult life.
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She’s out. She’s living as a private citizen.
But "out" doesn't mean "unsupervised." Because she was convicted of second-degree murder, her release came with the standard conditions of parole that most violent offenders face in California. She’s likely under the watchful eye of a parole officer, with strict rules about where she can go, who she can talk to, and what kind of work she can do.
The transition from a prison cell back to a world that has completely changed since 2009 is a lot. Think about it. When Tylar went in, the first iPhone was barely a thing. Social media was in its infancy. Coming back into a tech-heavy society as a woman in her late 20s or early 30s is a heavy lift, especially with a name that is permanently attached to a high-profile homicide.
Why Was She Released Early?
It’s easy to look at a "15 years to life" sentence and wonder how someone gets out in 13.
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The legal mechanics here are pretty interesting. Tylar wasn't the one who actually wielded the knife; that was Steven Colver, who was 19 at the time. He’s currently serving life without the possibility of parole at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. He isn't getting out.
Tylar’s path was different because she took a plea deal.
She agreed to testify against Colver. In exchange, her charges were bumped down from first-degree murder to second-degree murder. This deal reduced her minimum time from 25 years to 15. Because she was a juvenile when the crime happened, she also benefited from California's evolving laws regarding youthful offenders. These laws recognize that the teenage brain—especially one in the middle of a toxic, grooming-style relationship—functions differently than an adult brain.
During her 2022 parole hearing, her friends actually supported her release. That’s a detail that often gets lost. While the victim’s family (her own mother’s family) initially recommended a rescission hearing to keep her in, the board ultimately decided she had met the criteria for suitability.
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Life After the "Star-Crossed Lovers" Narrative
The media loved the "Romeo and Juliet" angle. It was sensational. They called them star-crossed lovers.
But the reality was much grimmer. Joanne Witt had discovered Tylar’s journal, which contained details about her relationship with Colver. When Joanne moved to press statutory rape charges against him, the couple decided Joanne had to go.
Today, Tylar has to live with the reality of those choices. In a 2011 interview with ABC’s 20/20, she admitted she struggled with being honest, saying she’d panic and lie to get out of trouble. It makes you wonder how much she’s changed. Is she the same person who hugged Colver after he killed her mother? Or has a decade-plus in the California prison system actually rehabilitated her?
Moving Forward: The Reality for Tylar Witt
Right now, Tylar Witt is likely maintaining a very low profile. You won't find her on public social media under her real name. People in her position often move to different counties or even states (if permitted) to escape the local notoriety of their crimes.
Where is Tylar Witt now in terms of her daily life? She’s likely focused on:
- Employment: Finding a job with a murder conviction is notoriously difficult, though some programs help former inmates integrate into the workforce.
- Anonymity: Rebuilding a life where people don't immediately recognize her from old news clips.
- Parole Compliance: Staying on the right side of the law to avoid being sent back to Chowchilla.
If you’re looking to follow this case further, the best next step is to look into the California Board of Parole Hearings' public records for 2023. These documents often detail the specific conditions of release and the reasoning used by the board to determine that an inmate is no longer a threat to society. It provides a much clearer picture of the legal "why" behind her current freedom.