Latest news with #UniversityofthePacific
Los Angeles Times
18-05-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy
Driven by a commitment to achieve excellence since 1955, the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy trains pharmacists to excel as problem-solvers, innovators and leaders in their careers. By choosing University of the Pacific's three-year accelerated doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program, students become part of our legacy of excellence and leadership. The skill set and clinical experience gained from our PharmD program open new doors to the many settings where pharmacists play a key role -- from hospitals to pharmaceutical research and development. Through each component of our PharmD curriculum, students learn how to become a pharmacist who leads with excellence. From the first semester, students develop patient-care skills that are integrated throughout the PharmD curriculum, exposing them to the administrative, pharmaceutical, social, behavioral and clinical science aspects of the field of pharmacy. This combination allows students to develop a solid foundation of practical training by gaining patient care experience across a wide variety of settings. The School is home to a robust interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum that supports PharmD students. Through IPE, students engage in case-based learning, simulations, peer teaching, telehealth simulations and innovative gaming techniques such as escape room scenarios. They also apply teamwork skills and learned concepts in interprofessional practice experiences during their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE). The Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy is committed to the success of our students. To ensure that each of our PharmD graduates are prepared for their careers, we offer a first-of-its- kind, immersive three-week residential California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination (CPJE) and North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) preparatory program. This comprehensive program is designed to build on students' strengths through targeted practice sessions and engaging reviews and complements other available resources. In their third year, all students also complete 'Rx Prep' to begin early preparation for licensure exams. At Pacific, students have the opportunity to work alongside faculty members on cutting-edge research. Current projects focus on novel drug delivery systems, innovative drug design and forward- thinking approaches to patient care. Our faculty have also earned international recognition for their research on diabetes and consumer products. While pursuing their PharmD, students can customize their education through two distinct and dynamic pathways: clinical pharmacology and entrepreneurship. The clinical pharmacology pathway prepares students with a comprehensive understanding of clinical drug development and equips them to contribute to evidence-based decision-making in drug therapy and development. The entrepreneurship pathway provides future scientists with a strong foundation in pharmaceutical business operations and the entrepreneurial skills needed to launch and lead ventures focused on novel drug products and medical devices. The School's dual-degree programs combine the clinical training of the PharmD with immersive research through the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences Program, preparing PharmD/MS and PharmD/PhD graduates for high- demand roles in industry and academia. Learn more and apply today at University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy Berit Gundersen, PharmD 1851 1955 530 Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Pathways:Clinical pharmacologyEntrepreneurship Dual-degrees:PharmD/MSPharmD/PhD 3 years In 2024, following a rigorous review, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) granted Pacific's doctor of pharmacy program an eight-year reaccreditation. 2025-26: $235,784 Final application deadline: June 6, 2025 Tony Williams, Director of RecruitmentOffice of Pharmacy Admission209.932.3600pharmdadmission@
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Student murdered by ex thought she was meeting him one last time
When 18-year-old Catina Rose Salarno arrived at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, to begin her freshman year in September 1979, she thought she was starting life anew. She had broken up with her high school sweetheart, Steven Burns, and was excited to pursue her dream of becoming a dentist. But on her first day of college, he surprised her by showing up on campus. He asked to meet her for one last time later that evening, said Catina Salarno's college roommate, Joanne Marks. "She was not looking forward to meeting with him, but she was looking forward to it being the last time," Marks told "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty in this week's all-new episode, "The Boy Across the Street," now streaming on Paramount+. "She believed that he would stop bothering her," said Marks. Around 8 p.m. that evening, Burns led Catina Salarno to a dark and secluded part of campus to talk about their relationship. But when she refused to get back together with him, he pulled a gun from his waistband and shot Catina in the back of the head, leaving her to slowly bleed to death. "My whole world got taken from me in, really, the flash of the gun, I mean, everything was gone. My life was never the same again," Catina Salarno's youngest sister, Nina Salarno, told "48 Hours." She was only 14 years old when Burns was convicted of second-degree murder in 1980, but her sister's death and its aftermath changed the course of her life. Nina Salarno went on to become a prosecutor specializing in domestic violence cases and has served as the district attorney in Modoc County, California, since 2023. "I chose … to make that my career because I believed, like my sister, so many victims are either not heard, afraid to be heard, or just don't understand the magnitude of what's happening to them," she said. In 1977, Burns and his family moved across the street from the Salarnos' San Francisco home, and a romance blossomed between Catina Salarno and Burns – both sophomores in high school. While Catina Salarno attended the all-girls high school, Burns became the captain of his school's football team. Burns had a strained relationship with his own father, and the Salarnos took him in as one of their own. He was someone each member of the family grew to trust. By the end of their senior year, Catina Salarno wanted to break off their romantic relationship. When she started to pull away from Burns, his demeanor towards Catina became more aggressive, said Nina Salarno. And that behavior continued to escalate. Both of Catina's sisters told "48 Hours" about troubling incidents when Burns had threatened to kill Catina. But Nina Salarno said Catina never took those threats seriously. Neither did her sisters. "We just figured he was just saying it. And because of what our relationship was over the years, why would we believe that?" Catina's middle sister, Regina Salarno-Novello, told "48 Hours." "He enjoyed being part of the family. Why would he destroy a family that he loved?" Nina Salarno said it's common for victims to miss the warning signs. "I think this is what's really hard for domestic violence victims — they really don't think the person's gonna kill them … in a lot of the situations they think … they know this person … And I think that's exactly what happened with Catina is she just figured his comment was just his comment. Even though he had made threats, she could handle it, 'he's never gonna cross that line' type thing," she said. Which is why Catina Salarno agreed to meet Burns that night, Nina Salarno said. "I think she gained strength as she was leaving the relationship … she was not gonna let him ruin where she was headed or interfere with her life anymore. And so that's why I believe she went out to meet him," Nina Salarno said. "And I think she did probably one of the most courageous acts. But also in the history of domestic violence in relationships, it's the most dangerous time. And unfortunately, she was killed." According to Nina Salarno, once an abuser starts to feel like they have lost control over their partner, she says that is when the highest rate of injury or murder occurs in a domestic violence relationship. Nina Salarno emphasizes the importance of avoiding these "last time" encounters by urging victims to make a clean break from their abuser and avoiding situations where they might be alone with them. "I think the biggest thing that a victim needs to realize is once they make that break, you've gotta make that break. Don't go meet them by yourself, don't take the phone calls, don't take the texts. Cut it off," Nina said. "Everything you can do to prevent being one-on-one with that person." If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for help at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Daughter reflects on iconic photo that shows reunion with her father, a Vietnam prisoner of war Kentucky distillery defies historic flooding and reopens for "Derby Week" Trump's AI photo of him as pope sparks worldwide outrage
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family's battle for justice has impacted victims' rights
It shook the entire campus at the University of the Pacific. A freshman on her first day of college in 1979 was found unconscious, bleeding from her head, in a remote area of the school. Her name was Catina Salarno. Harriet and Mike Salarno were getting ready for bed when the phone rang at their San Francisco home. Mike answered it. His tone signaled the news. Harriet Salarno: I said … "what's wrong?" … he says, Catina has been shot and she's in the emergency room. The Salarnos' two younger daughters, Regina and Nina, rushed to their side. Then the phone rang again. Harriet Salarno: And they said, "your daughter passed away." Nina Salarno: I don't think it can be described in words, what it's like to watch your mom collapse, crying. My dad, very, very strong man, but you could tell he was shaken to the core. Regina Salarno-Novello: And life just stopped. … I literally … life stopped, completely stopped.' "48 Hours" first met the Salarno family in 1990. Harriet and Mike were making their weekly visit to Catina's resting place. MIKE SALARNO (1990): I think coming out here and being able to talk to Catina gives me a peace of mind. Also that I can still communicate with my daughter, that it isn't, um, the final end. At the time, Catina had been gone for 10 years, and her family was just embarking on a decades-long journey to keep her killer behind bars. MIKE SALARNO (to reporters outside 1990 parole hearing): It's the first skirmish in a long, long battle that this we started today. It was not a journey they had ever expected to make. Erin Moriarty: Harriet, did you and Michael really have kind of a — the perfect life as parents, three kids? Harriet Salarno: Yes. To answer you, yes. We were so blessed. Both Mike and Harriet were juvenile commissioners assigned by the city of San Francisco to mentor boys and girls. Their arms and home were always open, says Nina, the youngest daughter. Nina Salarno: I think the best way to describe it is it typified a middle-class American family that valued their faith, valued family, valued community as well. They spent blissful summer days at the cabin in the mountains. Three carefree sisters with Catina leading the pack, says Regina, younger by 18 months. Regina Salarno-Novello: She was the heart and soul of the family. … She had such a good heart. She loved being the older sister. Nina Salarno: [I] think the best way to describe Catina is she is that person every person should meet in their life. She just brought an air of kindness. CATINA SALARNO MEETS THE BOY ACROSS THE STREET When Catina was 14, a new family, the Burns, moved in across the street in San Francisco. There were four children: a girl and three boys – all about the same age as the Salarno sisters. Regina Salarno-Novello: And we were spying on them. So … we all made a big batch of cookies, giggled all the way across the street, knocked on the door, introduced ourselves, and gave 'em a batch of homemade cookies. Soon, the friendship between the oldest Salarno sister and the second oldest Burns brother blossomed into a young love. Catina and Steven Burns started dating in the tenth grade. Erin Moriarty: How would you describe Steven Burns? Regina Salarno-Novello: Well, he was the big brother I never had, you know. And for me it was like, God, I have a big brother. And I was — I just thought he was great because we got to go to the football games. Burns, who went to an all-boys Catholic school, was a star athlete and captain of the football team. He and Nina, a basketball and volleyball player, bonded over their shared love of sports. Nina Salarno: I loved Steve. I idolized him. … He was a great athlete. He coached my teams … He would help me with my shot, and he took the time to do that. Mike took Burns, who had a difficult relationship with his own dad, under his wing. He not only mentored him, but he also gave him a job at his TV store delivering TVs. Regina Salarno-Novello: And my dad …who embraces everybody, brought him in and treated him as a son. Mike trusted him completely says Regina. They all did. Erin Moriarty: Did you ever see anything that between Steve and Catina that worried you? Harriet Salarno: I have to tell you, I've given hours and hours of thought of that. Why didn't I see this? What was it? Nina Salarno: You sometimes are close to people, you don't always see little signs or you ignore them. But with hindsight, the sisters say, there were signs. In her senior year, Catina who'd been accepted to the University of the Pacific, wanted to break up with Steve. But he wasn't having it, says Regina. He started threatening her. Regina Salarno-Novello: She said that Steve said that if I broke up with him, he would kill me … But at the time, neither sister took him seriously. Erin Moriarty: Neither one of you told your parents. Regina Salarno-Novello: We just figured he was just saying it. And because of what our relationship was over the years, why would we believe that? … He enjoyed being part of the family. Why would he destroy a family that he loved? Mike and Harriet never heard about that incident; never imagined the life they knew would come to an end. Harriet Salarno: We thought we were doing good and everything would be fine and never thought the boy across the street would murder our daughter. ONE LAST ENCOUNTER When Catina Salarno arrived at the University of the Pacific in September 1979, she thought she had left Steven Burns behind for good. He said he was going to Santa Clara University and she was going to begin pursuing her longtime goal. Regina Salarno-Novello: She knew she was gonna become a dentist. … She knew exactly what she was gonna do. It was planned for her. That was her goal, her dream. But Catina's excitement was cut short soon after the Salarnos got to campus. Regina Salarno-Novello: We were staying overnight and we went to the hotel lobby, and then all of a sudden there's Steve and his sister and family. And we were like, "what are you doing here?" And he says, well, I'm going to UOP. Nina Salarno: That's really, the first time I heard a lot of panic in her voice, uh, because that just caught her off guard. For the first time, Catina turned to her father for help. Regina Salarno-Novello: My dad walked up to him and said, OK, Steve. … Leave Catina alone. She has told you that. You guys move on to your own ways, be friends, and know that I will always be here for you. The Salarnos headed back to San Francisco and Catina and Burns each moved into their respective dorm rooms on opposite sides of the campus. Burns' new roommate, Les Serpa, remembers walking in the room and seeing Catina's picture everywhere. Les Serpa: He said his girlfriend, uh, was at Pacific as well … there were pictures of her and him together … more pictures than I'd ever seen before, but they were everywhere on his desk. Erin Moriarty: He didn't mention that she had wanted to break up? Les Serpa: Not at all. It was all very positive. Everything was great. Across campus, Catina was settling in with her new roommate, Joanne Marks. Then came a knock on the door. It was Steve Burns. Joanne Marks: After he left, uh, Catina told me that he wanted to meet with her later in the evening for the last time. Joanne Marks: She was not looking forward to meeting with him, but she was looking forward to it being the last time. She believed that he would stop bothering her. Marks says Burns came by to pick up Catina about 7:45 that evening. Joanne Marks: I said something like, you know, have a good evening, and he just grunted. Catina told Joanne she would see her later; but that later never came. A freshman out for a walk named Kevin Arlin would be the one to discover why. It was around 9:45 p.m. when he saw something on the sidewalk. Arlin, unnerved by what he saw, rushed back to his dorm and got a resident advisor. They both ran back to the scene. Kevin Arlin: And … we got up to — to her and it was … a young lady that, uh, was laying on the ground and she was still alive … she was unconscious, but there was a big pool of blood around her head. Arlin would later find out it was 18-year-old Catina Rose Salarno. She had been shot in the back of the head. Kevin Arlin: Her arms … were twisted in a way that I never thought the human body could twist. Erin Moriarty: Do you remember her face? Kevin Arlin: I — I — I just remember the blood. Erin Moriarty: That had to be heartbreaking. Kevin Arlin: Yeah. I knew it was tragic or I knew it was, uh, it was very serious, a very serious injury. While the two men waited for the ambulance to arrive, Steven Burns returned to his dorm room, where his roommate Les was watching "Monday Night Football." Les Serpa: He went and laid on the bed, propped up a pillow and started watching the game. Erin Moriarty: Did he seem nervous at all? Les Serpa: He was not nervous at all. The ambulance arrived around 10 p.m. and rushed Catina to St. Joseph's Hospital. She was still alive, barely. Years later, her family would learn she was not alone. Randy Haight – at the time a young patrol officer who was at the crime scene — met his partner at the hospital. Randy Haight: I said, where's the family? And he says, she's a student at UOP from out of town. …They're not here. I said, Is anybody with her? He says, haven't seen anybody. It's just us. Catina Rose was pronounced dead at 9 minutes after midnight. Randy Haight: We made the decision to sit with Catina until the Coroners came. … even though she had passed, I just didn't feel right leaving her alone … I prayed. I said a prayer for her. By then, homicide detectives were at Catina's dorm talking to Marks. Joanne Marks: I told the police that, uh, Catina had been picked up by Steve Burns and I told them which dorm he was from. Serpa and Burns were in their room when there was a knock at the door. Les Serpa: I opened the door and, uh, I — you know, there's like five guys out there in suits. … And so I stepped out a little bit say hello, and I could see at the end of each hall was full of police officers. … And then they asked to search our room. … they went through everything, every bag, every drawer — everything. Erin Moriarty: What were they looking for? Les Serpa: I didn't know at the time … but later I learned they were looking … for a weapon, for a gun. Steven Burns was pulled from the room and taken to the Stockton police station, where he was fingerprinted and photographed. Officer Haight recalls seeing him there. Randy Haight: He did not appear to be upset in any way. … Burns told the police he didn't meet Catina on campus that night, and that he spent the evening in his dorm room watching "Monday Night Football." Without the gun – it was never found – the police didn't have enough evidence to hold him. Steven Burns was released. His father took him back to San Francisco. The police didn't publicly name a suspect. But Harriet Salarno didn't need a name. She already knew it. Harriet Salarno: I just said to Mike," it's Steve, Mike, it's Steve." I — I — I don't know why … I just had that feeling. After talking to the family, the police learned that Steven had threatened to kill Catina if she broke up with him. Two days after the murder of Catina Rose Salarno, Steven Burns was arrested at his home just across the street from where Catina grew up. Nina Salarno: I remember … sitting up in the window, watching them walk him out in handcuffs and putting him in the patrol car. My whole world got taken from me, and really, in the flash of a gun. I mean, everything was gone. A MURDER AND A BETRAYAL Learning to live without their daughter has been a lifelong journey for Catina's parents — one crippled by what ifs. Mike Salarno never stopped blaming himself. Harriet Salarno: He felt that as a father, he let her down. For decades, Catina's sisters have also grappled with regret, wishing they had told their parents about Steven Burns threatening to kill Catina. Regina Salarno-Novello: What if I had said something? What if we told them about the threat? Erin Moriarty: You're living with guilt, too. Regina Salarno-Novello: And it doesn't change after 40 years. … it's the hole in my heart from missing my sister and what we could have had together. In the wake of the murder, each member of the family retreated into their own private grief. Harriet Salarno: I didn't even care if I even lived. I wanted to join Catina. Regina Salarno Novello: I didn't know what to do anymore. My whole plan, my whole world, my whole bubble blew up. Nina Salarno: I mean I never felt that kind of hurt. … I lost my entire family because they fell apart … It was painful enough that my sister had been murdered, but the person that I viewed as a brother and loved, betrayed me by taking her life. The Salarnos would learn that the young man they had trusted had stolen a gun from Mike's store weeks before Catina's murder. Erin Moriarty: You believe he planned that murder? Harriet Salarno: Yes. Nina Salarno: Oh, absolutely. … the fact that he stole the gun prior. There was no reason for the stealing of the gun, otherwise. They came to believe Burns may have been planning to use that gun to kill Catina even before she left for college. Regina Salarno-Novello: The night before we took her to UOP, I heard this noise outside … and it was Steve Burns … pacing in front of the bedroom window. …he had a big, white towel wrapped around his left hand. Regina says Burns tried to climb up the side of their house and enter through the window of the bedroom the girls shared, but Catina told him to leave. Regina Salarno-Novello: She said, "No, I'm not opening the window, go to bed, Steve. Go — you're — I'm going to school tomorrow." You know, "stop, just stop, just stop." Nina Salarno: Then there was a sound like he fell, and it was a very distinct sound of metal hitting metal. Erin Moriarty: What do you think now, when you look back on that, that sound of metal against metal? Nina Salarno: I think if I had opened the window and he got in, there'd be three dead girls. Erin Moriarty: You think he had a gun with him then? Nina Salarno: Absolutely. Six months after Catina's death, 19-year-old Steven Burns went on trial for her murder. It was a bitter awakening for the Salarnos, who say there was more concern for the defendant and his rights than there was for his victim. Neither of Catina's parents were allowed in the courtroom — not even while Nina, who was only 14 years old at the time – took the stand. She had to testify at the trial on her own without a victim's advocate to support her. Erin Moriarty: What was that like on the stand? Nina Salarno: Ugh. … I think the best word was just awful. I was in a courtroom. The only person I knew in the courtroom was the guy that had murdered my sister. The prosecution argued that Burns met Catina that night carrying the stolen gun with the intention of killing her if she wouldn't continue their relationship. Still, the jury did not convict him of premeditated first-degree murder. He was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years to life with the possibility of parole. Nina Salarno: We all thought 17 years to life meant life – that they would never let him out. They would learn they were wrong. Just 10 years into his sentence, Steven Burns came up for parole. The Salarnos were outraged. In 1990, they talked to then-"48 Hours" correspondent Bernard Goldberg the night before the first parole hearing: MIKE SALARNO: He should be in prison the rest of his life… HARRIET SALARNO: I had no idea the parole system was so rotten. BERNARD GOLDBERG: OK, Steven Burns was handed down a 17-to-life sentence. HARRIET SALARNO: That's right. BERNARD GOLDBERG: And — and here we are 10 years later — HARRIET SALARNO: That's right. BERNARD GOLDBERG: But you — you don't want him out after 17 years, after 20 years, after 25, you — is that fair? HARRIET SALARNO: Oh, that's a very fair question. Absolutely, I don't want him out, but I don't even wanna go up there before 17 years because that's what I was told! Going into this hearing, they know there's a chance he could get out. On March 28, 1990, the Salarnos and a bus full of supporters headed to Steven Burns' parole hearing. MIKE SALARNO (to Goldberg): That bus ride was the longest ride in my life. The first hardest thing was when she died, this is the second. For the first time since Catina's murder, the Salarnos confronted the man they had once considered part of the family. MIKE SALARNO (parole hearing): Steve sentenced my daughter to death forever. I ask for a fair trade. I ask you to sentence Steve to life in prison. Then it was Burns' turn to speak. STEVEN BURNS (parole hearing): It's hard to say the words how difficult it is to live day to day about the feelings I have inside about what I did. Regardless of what I do, I can't bring Catina back. … But I know this that I am deeply sorry for what I did. And I will work each day of my life, whether it be in prison or out — outside to make up. He apologized, but the Salarnos noticed he never looked at them while he did it. NINA SALARNO: If you can't look at someone in the face and say you're sorry, then you know damn well you're not sorry. After an excruciating wait, the parole board came back with a decision. Steven Burns was found unsuitable for release, but he would get another chance at freedom in just two years. HARRIET SALARNO (1990): Two years, we got two years. And I feel very, very drained, and I know my family's so worn out. BERNARD GOLDBERG: And in two years, what about the Salarno family? NINA SALARNO: We'll be here. HARRIET SALARNO: We'll be back. MIKE SALARNO: We'll be back. We'll be back. And back they would come over and over again for the next 35 years. FIGHTING FOR VICTIMS' RIGHTS There is one thing you can count on with the Salarnos. Every week for almost 46 years, they have gone to the cemetery where Catina now rests. These days there's another grave to tend. Mike Salarno died in 2013 of cancer. There's something else you can be sure of. Every time Steven Burns comes up for parole, they will be there. Nina Salarno: We all said we would be back and we've continued to be back 12 times, not just because he murdered Catina, but because he is a dangerous murderer that will kill or harm again. And that's just the bottom line. In January 2025, they were about to go to their 13th parole hearing. NINA SALARNO (praying at gravesite): Give this family the strength to continue to fight. That fight for victim's rights has shaped all their lives. Regina Salarno-Novello: Was I gonna be a nurse 40 years ago? No. And now I am … the reason why I did it is because I swore nobody would die alone. Nina says she was so traumatized by the trial, she vowed she would become a prosecutor. And so she did. She became a specialist in domestic violence cases. Nina Salarno: I believed like my sister, so many victims are either not heard, afraid to be heard, or just don't understand the magnitude of what's happening to them. She became the DA in Modoc County – cowboy country – about as far north in California as you can get. Nina Salarno: Being able to be out in the mountains and/or, um, work on a cattle ranch or ride my horses and have that time is just — it's who I am. Harriet went on to start Crime Victims United, an organization that has changed hundreds of laws. Before Harriet Salarno, victims in California weren't allowed to give impact statements at sentencing. Now they are. Parents – even if witnesses – can now attend the trial. And children, unlike Nina, must now be accompanied by a support person when testifying. Nina Salarno: She's my hero. … my absolute hero. … it's just so significant to see … how she supports people and just really fights for what's right. Harriet Salarno: I have a passion. For Harriet that has meant fighting to keep Steven Burns behind bars. Harriet Salarno: I've been doing it for 45 years and I will continue to do it. … As long as I'm alive and as long as he's in prison. Burns has been in prison for 45 years. But the Salarnos are convinced he hasn't changed. Nina Salarno: He still has yet to admit to … the facts of the crime. Burns' story, says Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau, has changed at least 12 times over the years. Robert Himelblau: He had said repeatedly that Catina pulled the gun, that Catina was the one who had the revolver, ignoring the fact that we knew that he had stolen Catina's father's revolver. … sometimes she shot him, sometimes they struggled over the gun and it accidentally went off. In 2016 – 37 years after the murder – Burns finally stopped lying about Catina's actions, says Nina. He told the commissioners, "I became very, very angry … and I pulled out a gun and shot Catina." But Burns continued to deny that he stalked her to UOP to kill her if she didn't get back together with him. Nina Salarno: The shooting of the gun murdered my sister, but the behaviors and the need for his power and control, and the obsessiveness is what makes him dangerous. And according to a complaint brought up at the last parole hearing, he has shown those same obsessive behaviors inside prison. A professor who taught incarcerated students reported that Burns' behavior towards her was quote disturbing and manipulating. Nina Salarno: He was relentless towards her because she would … not allow him into a class. He focused on her and was not going to stop till he got what he wanted. Erin Moriarty: Do you think that if Steven Burns is released, he could hurt someone? Robert Himelblau: Yes. The next woman he goes out with who says no. But there are some who believe that Burns deserves a second chance. Kevin Anderson, once a respected pediatrician, got to know Burns when he was incarcerated — also for murder. After 24 years in prison, Anderson was released on parole in 2023. He started working as a counselor. "48 Hours" first spoke to him the day before Burns' 2025 parole hearing. Erin Moriarty: Do you think that Steven Burns is a danger to society? Kevin Anderson: I can't say 100 percent … But I do think that Steven Burns has done a lot of the work … to get to that point where you're no longer a danger to society. Burns has earned a college degree and has worked with hospice patients. He has participated in numerous anger management and rehabilitation programs, some alongside Anderson. Kevin Anderson: I think that … he has the tools now that he didn't have before. Anderson worked with Burns in mock hearing sessions to help him prepare for the upcoming parole hearing. Kevin Anderson: We had to push him. And once we got him to get off of the denial on certain issues where the real honesty had to come out, now he's able to talk about it in the honest terms that maybe he wasn't able to do 10 years ago, 15 years ago. Anderson says Steven told him he snapped when Catina rejected him. Kevin Anderson: She said, I want you to stay away from me and my family. … and he said, at that point I just lost it. … And as he was describing this, he was crying. … 'cause now he realizes where he was going with this, and what this was leading to. And Catina saw it too, says Anderson. Kevin Anderson: He described to me her body language, what her eyes were doing, how they had just grown really big. I said, what else? And he said … her voice was shaking. … And I said, and what did that mean to you? And he would say, it meant she was scared to death. But it didn't stop him. Steven Burns shot the woman he claimed to love in the back of the head and walked away, leaving her to slowly bleed to death. Erin Moriarty: Did he say why he left and didn't get help for her? Kevin Anderson: He did say that what he did afterwards was a very cowardly act. Steven Burns is about to get another chance to convince commissioners that the same man who left Catina to die that night, is a changed man. And this time, the Salarnos fear the odds are in his favor. Regina Salarno-Novello: It scares the living daylights outta me, having him come out. STEVEN BURNS' 13th PAROLE HEARING As Harriet Salarno counts down the days to the 2025 hearing, she does what she has done for the past four decades; she goes to work. At 92, Harriet still goes to the office at Crime Victims United every day. Harriet and Nina are picking out photos to show the commissioners at the parole hearing. Nina Salarno: It's important that they understand that she was a beautiful human being … and her life was taken for no reason Nina has been preparing for this hearing for month.s. Nina Salarno (showing file cabinet): And in here, I keep everything from the trial, everything from the trial to all those subsequent parole hearings. Nina, the prosecutor, is leaving nothing to chance. Nina Salarno (holding binder): Here's transcripts from the 2010 hearing. But Nina, the protector, is calling on Catina and her dad to help the things she can't control. As a DA, Nina knows Burns' chances of getting out are better than ever. Keith Wattley is founder of UnCommon Law, an organization that helps incarcerated people navigate the parole process. Keith Wattley: From what I've seen so far on paper, in terms of the time he's done, the program … that he's put together for himself and how well he's performed there, he does seem like somebody who, under the law, should be granted parole. Wattley, who has never met Burns, but has reviewed his last two parole transcripts, says Steven has two other important things going for him: his age — he was only 18 — when he committed the crime. Keith Wattley: California … has passed laws to say that we have to consider someone's youth at the time of the crime … none of us are fully developed in the brain by — before we're age 25. And his age at the time of the hearing — 63. Wattley says Burns is eligible for special consideration under the elderly parole program. He says people simply age out of crime, especially violent crime. Erin Moriarty: But in Steven Burns' case, isn't there a possibility that … if he gets out, he gets involved with someone and they leave him, he'll do the same thing? Keith Wattley: It's a great question. It's an important question. The science and the statistics say no. ... They say that people who come home from a life sentence are among the least likely to recidivate. That's just true. But sometimes statistics are no match for the human spirit. Erin Moriarty: When the family comes consistently to these parole hearings, especially a family like the Salarnos, doesn't that make it much more difficult for someone like Steven Burns to get a chance at parole? Keith Wattley: I would say yes. Yes, it does … have an impact on the process. The Salarnos are praying they'll make an impact again this time. Harriet, Nine, her daughter Lexy, and a group of loyal friends head to the DA's office in Stockton, California, where they will attend the parole hearing via video — the post-COVID new normal. Erin Moriarty: Won't hearing all this today make you relive everything? Harriet Salarno: It does. It really does. I am shaky, very shaky. Erin Moriarty: You are right now? Harriet Salarno: Yeah. Sad thing. But I'm — I'm afraid of him being released, Erin. … I — just afraid that he'll come after us. Harriet braces herself as she heads into the conference room knowing she will have to again see the man who put her daughter in a grave. Harriet Salarno: Looking at Steve Burns when he walked in … he just looks dangerous. He acts dangerous. And what he says is dangerous. "48 Hours" was not allowed to record video or audio during the hearing, but I was able to sit with the family and friends to observe. Steven Burns — his affect flat, his voice monotone — once again denied he planned to kill Catina that night. Audio was recorded by the parole board: COMMISSIONER: You didn't plan to kill her? STEVEN BURNS: No. COMMISSIONER: And you deny that you've threatened to kill her at — previously, correct? STEVEN BURNS: Yes. COMMISSIONER: Do you understand why previous panels ... have found that you minimize what you did and — and your intentions? STEVEN BURNS: Based on that, yes. After almost four hours, the commissioners retreated to make their decision. Erin Moriarty: Is this the hardest part? Just waiting — to see? Harriet Salarno: Waiting. This is the most difficult part. Twenty minutes later, the family was called back into the conference room. The decision was in. COMMISSIONER: Even after 45 years in prison … we see very little change on those issues that led you to murder Catina, that led you to do things in prison that offended others … We see very little change. Steven Burns was found unsuitable for parole. Harriet Salarno: We can go home and really sleep tonight! Erin Moriarty: This is the first real smile I've really seen on your face. Nina Salarno (to her mother): I'm very proud of you. When Kevin Anderson, Burns' friend from prison, read the transcript of the hearing, he was stunned. He sent "48 Hours" an email, some of which I read to him when we spoke again after the hearing. Erin Moriarty (reading email): "Reading this transcript is hurting my head, heart and soul. This man is absolutely not ready to be released." Kevin Anderson: No. The way he came across in that hearing, he was absolutely not ready … All the work he has done, I didn't see it showing up there at all. Four days after the hearing, Nina and Harriet went to the gravesite to deliver the news. Nina Salarno: We got a five-year-denial, dad. So I'm still holding strong to my promise to you. It was Catina's 64th birthday. Nina Salarno: Catina, I think that's the best birthday present we could give you was that denial. So thank you for watching over mom and watching over everyone Harriet Salarno: Happy birthday Catina … I love you both so much and miss you. Steven Burns is expected to go before the parole board again in 2030. Produced by Liza Finley and Gabriella Demirdjian. Cindy Cesare and Greg Fisher are the development producers. Lauren Turner Dunn is the associate producer. Doreen Schechter, Gregory F. McLaughlin, Chris Crater and Michael Vele are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Daughter reflects on iconic photo that shows reunion with her father, a Vietnam prisoner of war Kentucky distillery defies historic flooding and reopens for "Derby Week" Trump's AI photo of him as pope sparks worldwide outrage
Wakala News
04-05-2025
- Wakala News
How a California family's battle for justice for slain teen has impacted victims' rights
It shook the entire campus at the University of the Pacific. A freshman on her first day of college in 1979 was found unconscious, bleeding from her head, in a remote area of the school. Her name was Catina Salarno. Harriet and Mike Salarno were getting ready for bed when the phone rang at their San Francisco home. Mike answered it. His tone signaled the news. Harriet Salarno: I said … 'what's wrong?' … he says, Catina has been shot and she's in the emergency room. The Salarnos' two younger daughters, Regina and Nina, rushed to their side. Then the phone rang again. Harriet Salarno: And they said, 'your daughter passed away.' Nina Salarno: I don't think it can be described in words, what it's like to watch your mom collapse, crying. My dad, very, very strong man, but you could tell he was shaken to the core. Regina Salarno-Novello: And life just stopped. … I literally … life stopped, completely stopped.' '48 Hours' first met the Salarno family in 1990. Harriet and Mike were making their weekly visit to Catina's resting place. MIKE SALARNO (1990): I think coming out here and being able to talk to Catina gives me a peace of mind. Also that I can still communicate with my daughter, that it isn't, um, the final end. At the time, Catina had been gone for 10 years, and her family was just embarking on a decades-long journey to keep her killer behind bars. MIKE SALARNO (to reporters outside 1990 parole hearing): It's the first skirmish in a long, long battle that this we started today. It was not a journey they had ever expected to make. Erin Moriarty: Harriet, did you and Michael really have kind of a — the perfect life as parents, three kids? Harriet Salarno: Yes. To answer you, yes. We were so blessed. Both Mike and Harriet were juvenile commissioners assigned by the city of San Francisco to mentor boys and girls. Their arms and home were always open, says Nina, the youngest daughter. Nina Salarno: I think the best way to describe it is it typified a middle-class American family that valued their faith, valued family, valued community as well. They spent blissful summer days at the cabin in the mountains. Three carefree sisters with Catina leading the pack, says Regina, younger by 18 months. Regina Salarno-Novello: She was the heart and soul of the family. … She had such a good heart. She loved being the older sister. Nina Salarno: (I) think the best way to describe Catina is she is that person every person should meet in their life. She just brought an air of kindness. CATINA SALARNO MEETS THE BOY ACROSS THE STREET When Catina was 14, a new family, the Burns, moved in across the street in San Francisco. There were four children: a girl and three boys – all about the same age as the Salarno sisters. Regina Salarno-Novello: And we were spying on them. So … we all made a big batch of cookies, giggled all the way across the street, knocked on the door, introduced ourselves, and gave 'em a batch of homemade cookies. Soon, the friendship between the oldest Salarno sister and the second oldest Burns brother blossomed into a young love. Catina and Steven Burns started dating in the tenth grade. Erin Moriarty: How would you describe Steven Burns? Regina Salarno-Novello: Well, he was the big brother I never had, you know. And for me it was like, God, I have a big brother. And I was — I just thought he was great because we got to go to the football games. Burns, who went to an all-boys Catholic school, was a star athlete and captain of the football team. He and Nina, a basketball and volleyball player, bonded over their shared love of sports. Nina Salarno: I loved Steve. I idolized him. … He was a great athlete. He coached my teams … He would help me with my shot, and he took the time to do that. Mike took Burns, who had a difficult relationship with his own dad, under his wing. He not only mentored him, but he also gave him a job at his TV store delivering TVs. Regina Salarno-Novello: And my dad …who embraces everybody, brought him in and treated him as a son. Mike trusted him completely says Regina. They all did. Erin Moriarty: Did you ever see anything that between Steve and Catina that worried you? Harriet Salarno: I have to tell you, I've given hours and hours of thought of that. Why didn't I see this? What was it? Nina Salarno: You sometimes are close to people, you don't always see little signs or you ignore them. But with hindsight, the sisters say, there were signs. In her senior year, Catina who'd been accepted to the University of the Pacific, wanted to break up with Steve. But he wasn't having it, says Regina. He started threatening her. Regina Salarno-Novello: She said that Steve said that if I broke up with him, he would kill me … But at the time, neither sister took him seriously. Erin Moriarty: Neither one of you told your parents. Regina Salarno-Novello: We just figured he was just saying it. And because of what our relationship was over the years, why would we believe that? … He enjoyed being part of the family. Why would he destroy a family that he loved? Mike and Harriet never heard about that incident; never imagined the life they knew would come to an end. Harriet Salarno: We thought we were doing good and everything would be fine and never thought the boy across the street would murder our daughter. ONE LAST ENCOUNTER When Catina Salarno arrived at the University of the Pacific in September 1979, she thought she had left Steven Burns behind for good. He said he was going to Santa Clara University and she was going to begin pursuing her longtime goal. Regina Salarno-Novello: She knew she was gonna become a dentist. … She knew exactly what she was gonna do. It was planned for her. That was her goal, her dream. But Catina's excitement was cut short soon after the Salarnos got to campus. Regina Salarno-Novello: We were staying overnight and we went to the hotel lobby, and then all of a sudden there's Steve and his sister and family. And we were like, 'what are you doing here?' And he says, well, I'm going to UOP. Nina Salarno: That's really, the first time I heard a lot of panic in her voice, uh, because that just caught her off guard. For the first time, Catina turned to her father for help. Regina Salarno-Novello: My dad walked up to him and said, OK, Steve. … Leave Catina alone. She has told you that. You guys move on to your own ways, be friends, and know that I will always be here for you. The Salarnos headed back to San Francisco and Catina and Burns each moved into their respective dorm rooms on opposite sides of the campus. Burns' new roommate, Les Serpa, remembers walking in the room and seeing Catina's picture everywhere. Les Serpa: He said his girlfriend, uh, was at Pacific as well … there were pictures of her and him together … more pictures than I'd ever seen before, but they were everywhere on his desk. Erin Moriarty: He didn't mention that she had wanted to break up? Les Serpa: Not at all. It was all very positive. Everything was great. Across campus, Catina was settling in with her new roommate, Joanne Marks. Then came a knock on the door. It was Steve Burns. Joanne Marks: After he left, uh, Catina told me that he wanted to meet with her later in the evening for the last time. Joanne Marks: She was not looking forward to meeting with him, but she was looking forward to it being the last time. She believed that he would stop bothering her. Marks says Burns came by to pick up Catina about 7:45 that evening. Joanne Marks: I said something like, you know, have a good evening, and he just grunted. Catina told Joanne she would see her later; but that later never came. A freshman out for a walk named Kevin Arlin would be the one to discover why. It was around 9:45 p.m. when he saw something on the sidewalk. Arlin, unnerved by what he saw, rushed back to his dorm and got a resident advisor. They both ran back to the scene. Kevin Arlin: And … we got up to — to her and it was … a young lady that, uh, was laying on the ground and she was still alive … she was unconscious, but there was a big pool of blood around her head. Arlin would later find out it was 18-year-old Catina Rose Salarno. She had been shot in the back of the head. Kevin Arlin: Her arms … were twisted in a way that I never thought the human body could twist. Kevin Arlin: I — I — I just remember the blood. Erin Moriarty: That had to be heartbreaking. Kevin Arlin: Yeah. I knew it was tragic or I knew it was, uh, it was very serious, a very serious injury. While the two men waited for the ambulance to arrive, Steven Burns returned to his dorm room, where his roommate Les was watching 'Monday Night Football.' Les Serpa: He went and laid on the bed, propped up a pillow and started watching the game. Les Serpa: He was not nervous at all. The ambulance arrived around 10 p.m. and rushed Catina to St. Joseph's Hospital. She was still alive, barely. Years later, her family would learn she was not alone. Randy Haight – at the time a young patrol officer who was at the crime scene — met his partner at the hospital. Randy Haight: I said, where's the family? And he says, she's a student at UOP from out of town. …They're not here. I said, Is anybody with her? He says, haven't seen anybody. It's just us. Catina Rose was pronounced dead at 9 minutes after midnight. Randy Haight: We made the decision to sit with Catina until the Coroners came. … even though she had passed, I just didn't feel right leaving her alone … I prayed. I said a prayer for her. By then, homicide detectives were at Catina's dorm talking to Marks. Joanne Marks: I told the police that, uh, Catina had been picked up by Steve Burns and I told them which dorm he was from. Serpa and Burns were in their room when there was a knock at the door. Les Serpa: I opened the door and, uh, I — you know, there's like five guys out there in suits. … And so I stepped out a little bit say hello, and I could see at the end of each hall was full of police officers. … And then they asked to search our room. … they went through everything, every bag, every drawer — everything. Les Serpa: I didn't know at the time … but later I learned they were looking … for a weapon, for a gun. Steven Burns was pulled from the room and taken to the Stockton police station, where he was fingerprinted and photographed. Officer Haight recalls seeing him there. Randy Haight: He did not appear to be upset in any way. … Burns told the police he didn't meet Catina on campus that night, and that he spent the evening in his dorm room watching 'Monday Night Football.' Without the gun – it was never found – the police didn't have enough evidence to hold him. Steven Burns was released. His father took him back to San Francisco. The police didn't publicly name a suspect. But Harriet Salarno didn't need a name. She already knew it. Harriet Salarno: I just said to Mike,' it's Steve, Mike, it's Steve.' I — I — I don't know why … I just had that feeling. After talking to the family, the police learned that Steven had threatened to kill Catina if she broke up with him. Two days after the murder of Catina Rose Salarno, Steven Burns was arrested at his home just across the street from where Catina grew up. Nina Salarno: I remember … sitting up in the window, watching them walk him out in handcuffs and putting him in the patrol car. My whole world got taken from me, and really, in the flash of a gun. I mean, everything was gone. A MURDER AND A BETRAYAL Learning to live without their daughter has been a lifelong journey for Catina's parents — one crippled by what ifs. Mike Salarno never stopped blaming himself. Harriet Salarno: He felt that as a father, he let her down. For decades, Catina's sisters have also grappled with regret, wishing they had told their parents about Steven Burns threatening to kill Catina. Regina Salarno-Novello: What if I had said something? What if we told them about the threat? Erin Moriarty: You're living with guilt, too. Regina Salarno-Novello: And it doesn't change after 40 years. … it's the hole in my heart from missing my sister and what we could have had together. In the wake of the murder, each member of the family retreated into their own private grief. Harriet Salarno: I didn't even care if I even lived. I wanted to join Catina. Regina Salarno Novello: I didn't know what to do anymore. My whole plan, my whole world, my whole bubble blew up. Nina Salarno: I mean I never felt that kind of hurt. … I lost my entire family because they fell apart … It was painful enough that my sister had been murdered, but the person that I viewed as a brother and loved, betrayed me by taking her life. The Salarnos would learn that the young man they had trusted had stolen a gun from Mike's store weeks before Catina's murder. Erin Moriarty: You believe he planned that murder? Harriet Salarno: Yes. Nina Salarno: Oh, absolutely. … the fact that he stole the gun prior. There was no reason for the stealing of the gun, otherwise. They came to believe Burns may have been planning to use that gun to kill Catina even before she left for college. Regina Salarno-Novello: The night before we took her to UOP, I heard this noise outside … and it was Steve Burns … pacing in front of the bedroom window. …he had a big, white towel wrapped around his left hand. Regina says Burns tried to climb up the side of their house and enter through the window of the bedroom the girls shared, but Catina told him to leave. Regina Salarno-Novello: She said, 'No, I'm not opening the window, go to bed, Steve. Go — you're — I'm going to school tomorrow.' You know, 'stop, just stop, just stop.' Nina Salarno: Then there was a sound like he fell, and it was a very distinct sound of metal hitting metal. Erin Moriarty: What do you think now, when you look back on that, that sound of metal against metal? Nina Salarno: I think if I had opened the window and he got in, there'd be three dead girls. Erin Moriarty: You think he had a gun with him then? Nina Salarno: Absolutely. Six months after Catina's death, 19-year-old Steven Burns went on trial for her murder. It was a bitter awakening for the Salarnos, who say there was more concern for the defendant and his rights than there was for his victim. Neither of Catina's parents were allowed in the courtroom — not even while Nina, who was only 14 years old at the time – took the stand. She had to testify at the trial on her own without a victim's advocate to support her. Erin Moriarty: What was that like on the stand? Nina Salarno: Ugh. … I think the best word was just awful. I was in a courtroom. The only person I knew in the courtroom was the guy that had murdered my sister. The prosecution argued that Burns met Catina that night carrying the stolen gun with the intention of killing her if she wouldn't continue their relationship. Still, the jury did not convict him of premeditated first-degree murder. He was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years to life with the possibility of parole. Nina Salarno: We all thought 17 years to life meant life – that they would never let him out. They would learn they were wrong. Just 10 years into his sentence, Steven Burns came up for parole. The Salarnos were outraged. In 1990, they talked to then-'48 Hours' correspondent Bernard Goldberg the night before the first parole hearing: HARRIET SALARNO: I had no idea the parole system was so rotten. BERNARD GOLDBERG: OK, Steven Burns was handed down a 17-to-life sentence. HARRIET SALARNO: That's right. HARRIET SALARNO: That's right. BERNARD GOLDBERG: But you — you don't want him out after 17 years, after 20 years, after 25, you — is that fair? HARRIET SALARNO: Oh, that's a very fair question. Absolutely, I don't want him out, but I don't even wanna go up there before 17 years because that's what I was told! Going into this hearing, they know there's a chance he could get out. On March 28, 1990, the Salarnos and a bus full of supporters headed to Steven Burns' parole hearing. MIKE SALARNO (to Goldberg): That bus ride was the longest ride in my life. The first hardest thing was when she died, this is the second. For the first time since Catina's murder, the Salarnos confronted the man they had once considered part of the family. MIKE SALARNO (parole hearing): Steve sentenced my daughter to death forever. I ask for a fair trade. I ask you to sentence Steve to life in prison. Then it was Burns' turn to speak. STEVEN BURNS (parole hearing): It's hard to say the words how difficult it is to live day to day about the feelings I have inside about what I did. Regardless of what I do, I can't bring Catina back. … But I know this that I am deeply sorry for what I did. And I will work each day of my life, whether it be in prison or out — outside to make up. He apologized, but the Salarnos noticed he never looked at them while he did it. NINA SALARNO: If you can't look at someone in the face and say you're sorry, then you know damn well you're not sorry. After an excruciating wait, the parole board came back with a decision. Steven Burns was found unsuitable for release, but he would get another chance at freedom in just two years. HARRIET SALARNO (1990): Two years, we got two years. And I feel very, very drained, and I know my family's so worn out. NINA SALARNO: We'll be here. HARRIET SALARNO: We'll be back. MIKE SALARNO: We'll be back. We'll be back. And back they would come over and over again for the next 35 years. FIGHTING FOR VICTIMS' RIGHTS There is one thing you can count on with the Salarnos. Every week for almost 46 years, they have gone to the cemetery where Catina now rests. These days there's another grave to tend. Mike Salarno died in 2013 of cancer. There's something else you can be sure of. Every time Steven Burns comes up for parole, they will be there. Nina Salarno: We all said we would be back and we've continued to be back 12 times, not just because he murdered Catina, but because he is a dangerous murderer that will kill or harm again. And that's just the bottom line. In January 2025, they were about to go to their 13th parole hearing. NINA SALARNO (praying at gravesite): Give this family the strength to continue to fight. That fight for victim's rights has shaped all their lives. Regina Salarno-Novello: Was I gonna be a nurse 40 years ago? No. And now I am … the reason why I did it is because I swore nobody would die alone. Nina says she was so traumatized by the trial, she vowed she would become a prosecutor. And so she did. She became a specialist in domestic violence cases. Nina Salarno: I believed like my sister, so many victims are either not heard, afraid to be heard, or just don't understand the magnitude of what's happening to them. She became the DA in Modoc County – cowboy country – about as far north in California as you can get. Nina Salarno: Being able to be out in the mountains and/or, um, work on a cattle ranch or ride my horses and have that time is just — it's who I am. Harriet went on to start Crime Victims United, an organization that has changed hundreds of laws. Before Harriet Salarno, victims in California weren't allowed to give impact statements at sentencing. Now they are. Parents – even if witnesses – can now attend the trial. And children, unlike Nina, must now be accompanied by a support person when testifying. Nina Salarno: She's my hero. … my absolute hero. … it's just so significant to see … how she supports people and just really fights for what's right. Harriet Salarno: I have a passion. For Harriet that has meant fighting to keep Steven Burns behind bars. Harriet Salarno: I've been doing it for 45 years and I will continue to do it. … As long as I'm alive and as long as he's in prison. Burns has been in prison for 45 years. But the Salarnos are convinced he hasn't changed. Nina Salarno: He still has yet to admit to … the facts of the crime. Burns' story, says Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau, has changed at least 12 times over the years. Robert Himelblau: He had said repeatedly that Catina pulled the gun, that Catina was the one who had the revolver, ignoring the fact that we knew that he had stolen Catina's father's revolver. … sometimes she shot him, sometimes they struggled over the gun and it accidentally went off. In 2016 – 37 years after the murder – Burns finally stopped lying about Catina's actions, says Nina. He told the commissioners, 'I became very, very angry … and I pulled out a gun and shot Catina.' But Burns continued to deny that he stalked her to UOP to kill her if she didn't get back together with him. Nina Salarno: The shooting of the gun murdered my sister, but the behaviors and the need for his power and control, and the obsessiveness is what makes him dangerous. And according to a complaint brought up at the last parole hearing, he has shown those same obsessive behaviors inside prison. A professor who taught incarcerated students reported that Burns' behavior towards her was quote disturbing and manipulating. Nina Salarno: He was relentless towards her because she would … not allow him into a class. He focused on her and was not going to stop till he got what he wanted. Erin Moriarty: Do you think that if Steven Burns is released, he could hurt someone? Robert Himelblau: Yes. The next woman he goes out with who says no. But there are some who believe that Burns deserves a second chance. Kevin Anderson, once a respected pediatrician, got to know Burns when he was incarcerated — also for murder. After 24 years in prison, Anderson was released on parole in 2023. He started working as a counselor. '48 Hours' first spoke to him the day before Burns' 2025 parole hearing. Erin Moriarty: Do you think that Steven Burns is a danger to society? Kevin Anderson: I can't say 100 percent … But I do think that Steven Burns has done a lot of the work … to get to that point where you're no longer a danger to society. Burns has earned a college degree and has worked with hospice patients. He has participated in numerous anger management and rehabilitation programs, some alongside Anderson. Kevin Anderson: I think that … he has the tools now that he didn't have before. Anderson worked with Burns in mock hearing sessions to help him prepare for the upcoming parole hearing. Kevin Anderson: We had to push him. And once we got him to get off of the denial on certain issues where the real honesty had to come out, now he's able to talk about it in the honest terms that maybe he wasn't able to do 10 years ago, 15 years ago. Anderson says Steven told him he snapped when Catina rejected him. Kevin Anderson: She said, I want you to stay away from me and my family. … and he said, at that point I just lost it. … And as he was describing this, he was crying. … 'cause now he realizes where he was going with this, and what this was leading to. And Catina saw it too, says Anderson. Kevin Anderson: He described to me her body language, what her eyes were doing, how they had just grown really big. I said, what else? And he said … her voice was shaking. … And I said, and what did that mean to you? And he would say, it meant she was scared to death. But it didn't stop him. Steven Burns shot the woman he claimed to love in the back of the head and walked away, leaving her to slowly bleed to death. Erin Moriarty: Did he say why he left and didn't get help for her? Kevin Anderson: He did say that what he did afterwards was a very cowardly act. Steven Burns is about to get another chance to convince commissioners that the same man who left Catina to die that night, is a changed man. And this time, the Salarnos fear the odds are in his favor. Regina Salarno-Novello: It scares the living daylights outta me, having him come out. STEVEN BURNS' 13th PAROLE HEARING As Harriet Salarno counts down the days to the 2025 hearing, she does what she has done for the past four decades; she goes to work. At 92, Harriet still goes to the office at Crime Victims United every day. Harriet and Nina are picking out photos to show the commissioners at the parole hearing. Nina Salarno: It's important that they understand that she was a beautiful human being … and her life was taken for no reason Nina has been preparing for this hearing for month.s. Nina Salarno (showing file cabinet): And in here, I keep everything from the trial, everything from the trial to all those subsequent parole hearings. Nina, the prosecutor, is leaving nothing to chance. Nina Salarno (holding binder): Here's transcripts from the 2010 hearing. But Nina, the protector, is calling on Catina and her dad to help the things she can't control. As a DA, Nina knows Burns' chances of getting out are better than ever. Keith Wattley is founder of UnCommon Law, an organization that helps incarcerated people navigate the parole process. Keith Wattley: From what I've seen so far on paper, in terms of the time he's done, the program … that he's put together for himself and how well he's performed there, he does seem like somebody who, under the law, should be granted parole. Wattley, who has never met Burns, but has reviewed his last two parole transcripts, says Steven has two other important things going for him: his age — he was only 18 — when he committed the crime. Keith Wattley: California … has passed laws to say that we have to consider someone's youth at the time of the crime … none of us are fully developed in the brain by — before we're age 25. And his age at the time of the hearing — 63. Wattley says Burns is eligible for special consideration under the elderly parole program. He says people simply age out of crime, especially violent crime. Erin Moriarty: But in Steven Burns' case, isn't there a possibility that … if he gets out, he gets involved with someone and they leave him, he'll do the same thing? Keith Wattley: It's a great question. It's an important question. The science and the statistics say no. … They say that people who come home from a life sentence are among the least likely to recidivate. That's just true. But sometimes statistics are no match for the human spirit. Erin Moriarty: When the family comes consistently to these parole hearings, especially a family like the Salarnos, doesn't that make it much more difficult for someone like Steven Burns to get a chance at parole? Keith Wattley: I would say yes. Yes, it does … have an impact on the process. The Salarnos are praying they'll make an impact again this time. Harriet, Nine, her daughter Lexy, and a group of loyal friends head to the DA's office in Stockton, California, where they will attend the parole hearing via video — the post-COVID new normal. Harriet Salarno: It does. It really does. I am shaky, very shaky. Erin Moriarty: You are right now? Harriet Salarno: Yeah. Sad thing. But I'm — I'm afraid of him being released, Erin. … I — just afraid that he'll come after us. Harriet braces herself as she heads into the conference room knowing she will have to again see the man who put her daughter in a grave. Harriet Salarno: Looking at Steve Burns when he walked in … he just looks dangerous. He acts dangerous. And what he says is dangerous. '48 Hours' was not allowed to record video or audio during the hearing, but I was able to sit with the family and friends to observe. Steven Burns — his affect flat, his voice monotone — once again denied he planned to kill Catina that night. Audio was recorded by the parole board: COMMISSIONER: You didn't plan to kill her? STEVEN BURNS: No. COMMISSIONER: And you deny that you've threatened to kill her at — previously, correct? STEVEN BURNS: Yes. COMMISSIONER: Do you understand why previous panels … have found that you minimize what you did and — and your intentions? STEVEN BURNS: Based on that, yes. After almost four hours, the commissioners retreated to make their decision. Erin Moriarty: Is this the hardest part? Just waiting — to see? Harriet Salarno: Waiting. This is the most difficult part. Twenty minutes later, the family was called back into the conference room. The decision was in. COMMISSIONER: Even after 45 years in prison … we see very little change on those issues that led you to murder Catina, that led you to do things in prison that offended others … We see very little change. Steven Burns was found unsuitable for parole. Harriet Salarno: We can go home and really sleep tonight! Erin Moriarty: This is the first real smile I've really seen on your face. Nina Salarno (to her mother): I'm very proud of you. When Kevin Anderson, Burns' friend from prison, read the transcript of the hearing, he was stunned. He sent '48 Hours' an email, some of which I read to him when we spoke again after the hearing. Erin Moriarty (reading email): 'Reading this transcript is hurting my head, heart and soul. This man is absolutely not ready to be released.' Kevin Anderson: No. The way he came across in that hearing, he was absolutely not ready … All the work he has done, I didn't see it showing up there at all. Four days after the hearing, Nina and Harriet went to the gravesite to deliver the news. Nina Salarno: We got a five-year-denial, dad. So I'm still holding strong to my promise to you. It was Catina's 64th birthday. Nina Salarno: Catina, I think that's the best birthday present we could give you was that denial. So thank you for watching over mom and watching over everyone Harriet Salarno: Happy birthday Catina … I love you both so much and miss you. Steven Burns is expected to go before the parole board again in 2030. Produced by Liza Finley and Gabriella Demirdjian. Cindy Cesare and Greg Fisher are the development producers. Lauren Turner Dunn is the associate producer. Doreen Schechter, Gregory F. McLaughlin, Chris Crater and Michael Vele are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
CBS News
04-05-2025
- CBS News
How a California family's battle for justice for slain teen has impacted victims' rights
It shook the entire campus at the University of the Pacific. A freshman on her first day of college in 1979 was found unconscious, bleeding from her head, in a remote area of the school. Her name was Catina Salarno. Harriet and Mike Salarno were getting ready for bed when the phone rang at their San Francisco home. Mike answered it. His tone signaled the news. Harriet Salarno: I said … "what's wrong?" … he says, Catina has been shot and she's in the emergency room. The Salarnos' two younger daughters, Regina and Nina, rushed to their side. Then the phone rang again. Harriet Salarno: And they said, "your daughter passed away." Nina Salarno: I don't think it can be described in words, what it's like to watch your mom collapse, crying. My dad, very, very strong man, but you could tell he was shaken to the core. Regina Salarno-Novello: And life just stopped. … I literally … life stopped, completely stopped.' "48 Hours" first met the Salarno family in 1990. Harriet and Mike were making their weekly visit to Catina's resting place. Harriet and Mike Salarno at Catina's resting place in 1990, 10 years after her murder. CBS News MIKE SALARNO (1990): I think coming out here and being able to talk to Catina gives me a peace of mind. Also that I can still communicate with my daughter, that it isn't, um, the final end. At the time, Catina had been gone for 10 years, and her family was just embarking on a decades-long journey to keep her killer behind bars. MIKE SALARNO (to reporters outside 1990 parole hearing): It's the first skirmish in a long, long battle that this we started today. It was not a journey they had ever expected to make. Erin Moriarty: Harriet, did you and Michael really have kind of a — the perfect life as parents, three kids? Harriet Salarno: Yes. To answer you, yes. We were so blessed. Both Mike and Harriet were juvenile commissioners assigned by the city of San Francisco to mentor boys and girls. Their arms and home were always open, says Nina, the youngest daughter. Nina Salarno: I think the best way to describe it is it typified a middle-class American family that valued their faith, valued family, valued community as well. They spent blissful summer days at the cabin in the mountains. Three carefree sisters with Catina leading the pack, says Regina, younger by 18 months. Catina Salarno Salarno family Regina Salarno-Novello: She was the heart and soul of the family. … She had such a good heart. She loved being the older sister. Nina Salarno: [I] think the best way to describe Catina is she is that person every person should meet in their life. She just brought an air of kindness. CATINA SALARNO MEETS THE BOY ACROSS THE STREET When Catina was 14, a new family, the Burns, moved in across the street in San Francisco. There were four children: a girl and three boys – all about the same age as the Salarno sisters. Regina Salarno-Novello: And we were spying on them. So … we all made a big batch of cookies, giggled all the way across the street, knocked on the door, introduced ourselves, and gave 'em a batch of homemade cookies. Catina Salarno and Steven Burns Salarno family Soon, the friendship between the oldest Salarno sister and the second oldest Burns brother blossomed into a young love. Catina and Steven Burns started dating in the tenth grade. Erin Moriarty: How would you describe Steven Burns? Regina Salarno-Novello: Well, he was the big brother I never had, you know. And for me it was like, God, I have a big brother. And I was — I just thought he was great because we got to go to the football games. Burns, who went to an all-boys Catholic school, was a star athlete and captain of the football team. He and Nina, a basketball and volleyball player, bonded over their shared love of sports. Nina Salarno: I loved Steve. I idolized him. … He was a great athlete. He coached my teams … He would help me with my shot, and he took the time to do that. Mike took Burns, who had a difficult relationship with his own dad, under his wing. He not only mentored him, but he also gave him a job at his TV store delivering TVs. Regina Salarno-Novello: And my dad …who embraces everybody, brought him in and treated him as a son. Mike trusted him completely says Regina. They all did. Erin Moriarty: Did you ever see anything that between Steve and Catina that worried you? Harriet Salarno: I have to tell you, I've given hours and hours of thought of that. Why didn't I see this? What was it? Nina Salarno: You sometimes are close to people, you don't always see little signs or you ignore them. But with hindsight, the sisters say, there were signs. In her senior year, Catina who'd been accepted to the University of the Pacific, wanted to break up with Steve. But he wasn't having it, says Regina. He started threatening her. Regina Salarno-Novello: She said that Steve said that if I broke up with him, he would kill me … But at the time, neither sister took him seriously. Erin Moriarty: Neither one of you told your parents. Regina Salarno-Novello: We just figured he was just saying it. And because of what our relationship was over the years, why would we believe that? … He enjoyed being part of the family. Why would he destroy a family that he loved? Mike and Harriet never heard about that incident; never imagined the life they knew would come to an end. Harriet Salarno: We thought we were doing good and everything would be fine and never thought the boy across the street would murder our daughter. ONE LAST ENCOUNTER When Catina Salarno arrived at the University of the Pacific in September 1979, she thought she had left Steven Burns behind for good. He said he was going to Santa Clara University and she was going to begin pursuing her longtime goal. Regina Salarno-Novello: She knew she was gonna become a dentist. … She knew exactly what she was gonna do. It was planned for her. That was her goal, her dream. Catina Salarno was a freshman at the University of the Pacific in September 1979. Her dream was to become a dentist. Salarno family But Catina's excitement was cut short soon after the Salarnos got to campus. Regina Salarno-Novello: We were staying overnight and we went to the hotel lobby, and then all of a sudden there's Steve and his sister and family. And we were like, "what are you doing here?" And he says, well, I'm going to UOP. Nina Salarno: That's really, the first time I heard a lot of panic in her voice, uh, because that just caught her off guard. For the first time, Catina turned to her father for help. Regina Salarno-Novello: My dad walked up to him and said, OK, Steve. … Leave Catina alone. She has told you that. You guys move on to your own ways, be friends, and know that I will always be here for you. The Salarnos headed back to San Francisco and Catina and Burns each moved into their respective dorm rooms on opposite sides of the campus. Burns' new roommate, Les Serpa, remembers walking in the room and seeing Catina's picture everywhere. Les Serpa: He said his girlfriend, uh, was at Pacific as well … there were pictures of her and him together … more pictures than I'd ever seen before, but they were everywhere on his desk. Erin Moriarty: He didn't mention that she had wanted to break up? Les Serpa: Not at all. It was all very positive. Everything was great. Across campus, Catina was settling in with her new roommate, Joanne Marks. Then came a knock on the door. It was Steve Burns. Joanne Marks: After he left, uh, Catina told me that he wanted to meet with her later in the evening for the last time. Joanne Marks: She was not looking forward to meeting with him, but she was looking forward to it being the last time. She believed that he would stop bothering her. Marks says Burns came by to pick up Catina about 7:45 that evening. Joanne Marks: I said something like, you know, have a good evening, and he just grunted. Catina told Joanne she would see her later; but that later never came. A freshman out for a walk named Kevin Arlin would be the one to discover why. It was around 9:45 p.m. when he saw something on the sidewalk. Arlin, unnerved by what he saw, rushed back to his dorm and got a resident advisor. They both ran back to the scene. Kevin Arlin: And … we got up to — to her and it was … a young lady that, uh, was laying on the ground and she was still alive … she was unconscious, but there was a big pool of blood around her head. Arlin would later find out it was 18-year-old Catina Rose Salarno. She had been shot in the back of the head. Kevin Arlin: Her arms … were twisted in a way that I never thought the human body could twist. Erin Moriarty: Do you remember her face? Kevin Arlin: I — I — I just remember the blood. Erin Moriarty: That had to be heartbreaking. Kevin Arlin: Yeah. I knew it was tragic or I knew it was, uh, it was very serious, a very serious injury. While the two men waited for the ambulance to arrive, Steven Burns returned to his dorm room, where his roommate Les was watching "Monday Night Football." Les Serpa: He went and laid on the bed, propped up a pillow and started watching the game. Erin Moriarty: Did he seem nervous at all? Les Serpa: He was not nervous at all. The ambulance arrived around 10 p.m. and rushed Catina to St. Joseph's Hospital. She was still alive, barely. Years later, her family would learn she was not alone. Randy Haight – at the time a young patrol officer who was at the crime scene — met his partner at the hospital. Randy Haight: I said, where's the family? And he says, she's a student at UOP from out of town. …They're not here. I said, Is anybody with her? He says, haven't seen anybody. It's just us. Catina Rose was pronounced dead at 9 minutes after midnight. Randy Haight: We made the decision to sit with Catina until the Coroners came. … even though she had passed, I just didn't feel right leaving her alone … I prayed. I said a prayer for her. By then, homicide detectives were at Catina's dorm talking to Marks. Joanne Marks: I told the police that, uh, Catina had been picked up by Steve Burns and I told them which dorm he was from. Serpa and Burns were in their room when there was a knock at the door. Les Serpa: I opened the door and, uh, I — you know, there's like five guys out there in suits. … And so I stepped out a little bit say hello, and I could see at the end of each hall was full of police officers. … And then they asked to search our room. … they went through everything, every bag, every drawer — everything. Erin Moriarty: What were they looking for? Les Serpa: I didn't know at the time … but later I learned they were looking … for a weapon, for a gun. Steven Burns was pulled from the room and taken to the Stockton police station, where he was fingerprinted and photographed. Officer Haight recalls seeing him there. Randy Haight: He did not appear to be upset in any way. … Burns told the police he didn't meet Catina on campus that night, and that he spent the evening in his dorm room watching "Monday Night Football." Without the gun – it was never found – the police didn't have enough evidence to hold him. Steven Burns was released. His father took him back to San Francisco. The police didn't publicly name a suspect. But Harriet Salarno didn't need a name. She already knew it. Harriet Salarno: I just said to Mike," it's Steve, Mike, it's Steve." I — I — I don't know why … I just had that feeling. After talking to the family, the police learned that Steven had threatened to kill Catina if she broke up with him. Two days after the murder of Catina Rose Salarno, Steven Burns was arrested at his home just across the street from where Catina grew up. Nina Salarno: I remember … sitting up in the window, watching them walk him out in handcuffs and putting him in the patrol car. My whole world got taken from me, and really, in the flash of a gun. I mean, everything was gone. A MURDER AND A BETRAYAL Learning to live without their daughter has been a lifelong journey for Catina's parents — one crippled by what ifs. Mike Salarno never stopped blaming himself. Harriet Salarno: He felt that as a father, he let her down. For decades, Catina's sisters have also grappled with regret, wishing they had told their parents about Steven Burns threatening to kill Catina. Regina Salarno-Novello: What if I had said something? What if we told them about the threat? Erin Moriarty: You're living with guilt, too. Regina Salarno-Novello: And it doesn't change after 40 years. … it's the hole in my heart from missing my sister and what we could have had together. In the wake of the murder, each member of the family retreated into their own private grief. Harriet Salarno: I didn't even care if I even lived. I wanted to join Catina. Regina Salarno Novello: I didn't know what to do anymore. My whole plan, my whole world, my whole bubble blew up. Nina Salarno: I mean I never felt that kind of hurt. … I lost my entire family because they fell apart … It was painful enough that my sister had been murdered, but the person that I viewed as a brother and loved, betrayed me by taking her life. The Salarnos would learn that the young man they had trusted had stolen a gun from Mike's store weeks before Catina's murder. Erin Moriarty: You believe he planned that murder? Harriet Salarno: Yes. Nina Salarno: Oh, absolutely. … the fact that he stole the gun prior. There was no reason for the stealing of the gun, otherwise. They came to believe Burns may have been planning to use that gun to kill Catina even before she left for college. Regina Salarno-Novello: The night before we took her to UOP, I heard this noise outside … and it was Steve Burns … pacing in front of the bedroom window. …he had a big, white towel wrapped around his left hand. Regina says Burns tried to climb up the side of their house and enter through the window of the bedroom the girls shared, but Catina told him to leave. Regina Salarno-Novello: She said, "No, I'm not opening the window, go to bed, Steve. Go — you're — I'm going to school tomorrow." You know, "stop, just stop, just stop." Nina Salarno: Then there was a sound like he fell, and it was a very distinct sound of metal hitting metal. Erin Moriarty: What do you think now, when you look back on that, that sound of metal against metal? Nina Salarno: I think if I had opened the window and he got in, there'd be three dead girls. Erin Moriarty: You think he had a gun with him then? Nina Salarno: Absolutely. Six months after Catina's death, 19-year-old Steven Burns went on trial for her murder. It was a bitter awakening for the Salarnos, who say there was more concern for the defendant and his rights than there was for his victim. Neither of Catina's parents were allowed in the courtroom — not even while Nina, who was only 14 years old at the time – took the stand. She had to testify at the trial on her own without a victim's advocate to support her. Erin Moriarty: What was that like on the stand? Nina Salarno: Ugh. … I think the best word was just awful. I was in a courtroom. The only person I knew in the courtroom was the guy that had murdered my sister. The prosecution argued that Burns met Catina that night carrying the stolen gun with the intention of killing her if she wouldn't continue their relationship. Still, the jury did not convict him of premeditated first-degree murder. He was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years to life with the possibility of parole. Nina Salarno: We all thought 17 years to life meant life – that they would never let him out. They would learn they were wrong. Just 10 years into his sentence, Steven Burns came up for parole. The Salarnos were outraged. In 1990, they talked to then-"48 Hours" correspondent Bernard Goldberg the night before the first parole hearing: MIKE SALARNO: He should be in prison the rest of his life… HARRIET SALARNO: I had no idea the parole system was so rotten. BERNARD GOLDBERG: OK, Steven Burns was handed down a 17-to-life sentence. HARRIET SALARNO: That's right. BERNARD GOLDBERG: And — and here we are 10 years later — HARRIET SALARNO: That's right. BERNARD GOLDBERG: But you — you don't want him out after 17 years, after 20 years, after 25, you — is that fair? HARRIET SALARNO: Oh, that's a very fair question. Absolutely, I don't want him out, but I don't even wanna go up there before 17 years because that's what I was told! Going into this hearing, they know there's a chance he could get out. Mike Salarno, left, and daughter Regina with then "48 Hours" correspondent Bernard Goldberg before Steven Burns' first parole hearing in 1990. CBS News On March 28, 1990, the Salarnos and a bus full of supporters headed to Steven Burns' parole hearing. MIKE SALARNO (to Goldberg): That bus ride was the longest ride in my life. The first hardest thing was when she died, this is the second. For the first time since Catina's murder, the Salarnos confronted the man they had once considered part of the family. MIKE SALARNO (parole hearing): Steve sentenced my daughter to death forever. I ask for a fair trade. I ask you to sentence Steve to life in prison. Then it was Burns' turn to speak. STEVEN BURNS (parole hearing): It's hard to say the words how difficult it is to live day to day about the feelings I have inside about what I did. Regardless of what I do, I can't bring Catina back. … But I know this that I am deeply sorry for what I did. And I will work each day of my life, whether it be in prison or out — outside to make up. He apologized, but the Salarnos noticed he never looked at them while he did it. NINA SALARNO: If you can't look at someone in the face and say you're sorry, then you know damn well you're not sorry. After an excruciating wait, the parole board came back with a decision. Steven Burns was found unsuitable for release, but he would get another chance at freedom in just two years. HARRIET SALARNO (1990): Two years, we got two years. And I feel very, very drained, and I know my family's so worn out. BERNARD GOLDBERG: And in two years, what about the Salarno family? NINA SALARNO: We'll be here. HARRIET SALARNO: We'll be back. MIKE SALARNO: We'll be back. We'll be back. And back they would come over and over again for the next 35 years. FIGHTING FOR VICTIMS' RIGHTS There is one thing you can count on with the Salarnos. Every week for almost 46 years, they have gone to the cemetery where Catina now rests. These days there's another grave to tend. Mike Salarno died in 2013 of cancer. There's something else you can be sure of. Every time Steven Burns comes up for parole, they will be there. "Thank you for the strength you impart on all of us, and as we face this next parole hearing," NIna Salarno, right, prayed, alongside her sister Regina Salarno-Novello, and mother Harriet Salarno. CBS News Nina Salarno: We all said we would be back and we've continued to be back 12 times, not just because he murdered Catina, but because he is a dangerous murderer that will kill or harm again. And that's just the bottom line. In January 2025, they were about to go to their 13th parole hearing. NINA SALARNO (praying at gravesite): Give this family the strength to continue to fight. That fight for victim's rights has shaped all their lives. Regina Salarno-Novello: Was I gonna be a nurse 40 years ago? No. And now I am … the reason why I did it is because I swore nobody would die alone. Nina says she was so traumatized by the trial, she vowed she would become a prosecutor. And so she did. She became a specialist in domestic violence cases. Nina Salarno: I believed like my sister, so many victims are either not heard, afraid to be heard, or just don't understand the magnitude of what's happening to them. She became the DA in Modoc County – cowboy country – about as far north in California as you can get. Nina Salarno: Being able to be out in the mountains and/or, um, work on a cattle ranch or ride my horses and have that time is just — it's who I am. Harriet went on to start Crime Victims United, an organization that has changed hundreds of laws. Before Harriet Salarno, victims in California weren't allowed to give impact statements at sentencing. Now they are. Parents – even if witnesses – can now attend the trial. And children, unlike Nina, must now be accompanied by a support person when testifying. Nina Salarno: She's my hero. … my absolute hero. … it's just so significant to see … how she supports people and just really fights for what's right. Harriet Salarno: I have a passion. For Harriet that has meant fighting to keep Steven Burns behind bars. Harriet Salarno: I've been doing it for 45 years and I will continue to do it. … As long as I'm alive and as long as he's in prison. Burns has been in prison for 45 years. But the Salarnos are convinced he hasn't changed. Nina Salarno: He still has yet to admit to … the facts of the crime. Burns' story, says Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau, has changed at least 12 times over the years. Robert Himelblau: He had said repeatedly that Catina pulled the gun, that Catina was the one who had the revolver, ignoring the fact that we knew that he had stolen Catina's father's revolver. … sometimes she shot him, sometimes they struggled over the gun and it accidentally went off. Catina Salarno and Steven Burns Salarno family In 2016 – 37 years after the murder – Burns finally stopped lying about Catina's actions, says Nina. He told the commissioners, "I became very, very angry … and I pulled out a gun and shot Catina." But Burns continued to deny that he stalked her to UOP to kill her if she didn't get back together with him. Nina Salarno: The shooting of the gun murdered my sister, but the behaviors and the need for his power and control, and the obsessiveness is what makes him dangerous. And according to a complaint brought up at the last parole hearing, he has shown those same obsessive behaviors inside prison. A professor who taught incarcerated students reported that Burns' behavior towards her was quote disturbing and manipulating. Nina Salarno: He was relentless towards her because she would … not allow him into a class. He focused on her and was not going to stop till he got what he wanted. Erin Moriarty: Do you think that if Steven Burns is released, he could hurt someone? Robert Himelblau: Yes. The next woman he goes out with who says no. A 2025 photo of Steven Burns. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation But there are some who believe that Burns deserves a second chance. Kevin Anderson, once a respected pediatrician, got to know Burns when he was incarcerated — also for murder. After 24 years in prison, Anderson was released on parole in 2023. He started working as a counselor. "48 Hours" first spoke to him the day before Burns' 2025 parole hearing. Erin Moriarty: Do you think that Steven Burns is a danger to society? Kevin Anderson: I can't say 100 percent … But I do think that Steven Burns has done a lot of the work … to get to that point where you're no longer a danger to society. Burns has earned a college degree and has worked with hospice patients. He has participated in numerous anger management and rehabilitation programs, some alongside Anderson. Kevin Anderson: I think that … he has the tools now that he didn't have before. Anderson worked with Burns in mock hearing sessions to help him prepare for the upcoming parole hearing. Kevin Anderson: We had to push him. And once we got him to get off of the denial on certain issues where the real honesty had to come out, now he's able to talk about it in the honest terms that maybe he wasn't able to do 10 years ago, 15 years ago. Anderson says Steven told him he snapped when Catina rejected him. Kevin Anderson: She said, I want you to stay away from me and my family. … and he said, at that point I just lost it. … And as he was describing this, he was crying. … 'cause now he realizes where he was going with this, and what this was leading to. And Catina saw it too, says Anderson. Kevin Anderson: He described to me her body language, what her eyes were doing, how they had just grown really big. I said, what else? And he said … her voice was shaking. … And I said, and what did that mean to you? And he would say, it meant she was scared to death. But it didn't stop him. Steven Burns shot the woman he claimed to love in the back of the head and walked away, leaving her to slowly bleed to death. Erin Moriarty: Did he say why he left and didn't get help for her? Kevin Anderson: He did say that what he did afterwards was a very cowardly act. Steven Burns is about to get another chance to convince commissioners that the same man who left Catina to die that night, is a changed man. And this time, the Salarnos fear the odds are in his favor. Regina Salarno-Novello: It scares the living daylights outta me, having him come out. STEVEN BURNS' 13th PAROLE HEARING As Harriet Salarno counts down the days to the 2025 hearing, she does what she has done for the past four decades; she goes to work. At 92, Harriet still goes to the office at Crime Victims United every day. Harriet and Nina are picking out photos to show the commissioners at the parole hearing. Nina Salarno: It's important that they understand that she was a beautiful human being … and her life was taken for no reason Nina has been preparing for this hearing for month.s. Nina Salarno (showing file cabinet): And in here, I keep everything from the trial, everything from the trial to all those subsequent parole hearings. Nina, the prosecutor, is leaving nothing to chance. Nina Salarno (holding binder): Here's transcripts from the 2010 hearing. But Nina, the protector, is calling on Catina and her dad to help the things she can't control. As a DA, Nina knows Burns' chances of getting out are better than ever. Keith Wattley is founder of UnCommon Law, an organization that helps incarcerated people navigate the parole process. Keith Wattley: From what I've seen so far on paper, in terms of the time he's done, the program … that he's put together for himself and how well he's performed there, he does seem like somebody who, under the law, should be granted parole. Wattley, who has never met Burns, but has reviewed his last two parole transcripts, says Steven has two other important things going for him: his age — he was only 18 — when he committed the crime. Keith Wattley: California … has passed laws to say that we have to consider someone's youth at the time of the crime … none of us are fully developed in the brain by — before we're age 25. And his age at the time of the hearing — 63. Wattley says Burns is eligible for special consideration under the elderly parole program. He says people simply age out of crime, especially violent crime. Erin Moriarty: But in Steven Burns' case, isn't there a possibility that … if he gets out, he gets involved with someone and they leave him, he'll do the same thing? Keith Wattley: It's a great question. It's an important question. The science and the statistics say no. ... They say that people who come home from a life sentence are among the least likely to recidivate. That's just true. But sometimes statistics are no match for the human spirit. Erin Moriarty: When the family comes consistently to these parole hearings, especially a family like the Salarnos, doesn't that make it much more difficult for someone like Steven Burns to get a chance at parole? Keith Wattley: I would say yes. Yes, it does … have an impact on the process. The Salarnos are praying they'll make an impact again this time. Harriet, Nine, her daughter Lexy, and a group of loyal friends head to the DA's office in Stockton, California, where they will attend the parole hearing via video — the post-COVID new normal. Erin Moriarty: Won't hearing all this today make you relive everything? Harriet Salarno: It does. It really does. I am shaky, very shaky. Erin Moriarty: You are right now? Harriet Salarno: Yeah. Sad thing. But I'm — I'm afraid of him being released, Erin. … I — just afraid that he'll come after us. Harriet braces herself as she heads into the conference room knowing she will have to again see the man who put her daughter in a grave. Harriet Salarno: Looking at Steve Burns when he walked in … he just looks dangerous. He acts dangerous. And what he says is dangerous. "48 Hours" was not allowed to record video or audio during the hearing, but I was able to sit with the family and friends to observe. Steven Burns — his affect flat, his voice monotone — once again denied he planned to kill Catina that night. Audio was recorded by the parole board: COMMISSIONER: You didn't plan to kill her? STEVEN BURNS: No. COMMISSIONER: And you deny that you've threatened to kill her at — previously, correct? STEVEN BURNS: Yes. COMMISSIONER: Do you understand why previous panels ... have found that you minimize what you did and — and your intentions? STEVEN BURNS: Based on that, yes. After almost four hours, the commissioners retreated to make their decision. Erin Moriarty: Is this the hardest part? Just waiting — to see? Harriet Salarno: Waiting. This is the most difficult part. Twenty minutes later, the family was called back into the conference room. The decision was in. COMMISSIONER: Even after 45 years in prison … we see very little change on those issues that led you to murder Catina, that led you to do things in prison that offended others … We see very little change. Steven Burns was found unsuitable for parole. A jubilant Harriet Salarno with "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty after the parole board's decision denying Steven Burns parole for a 13th time. CBS News Harriet Salarno: We can go home and really sleep tonight! Erin Moriarty: This is the first real smile I've really seen on your face. Nina Salarno (to her mother): I'm very proud of you. When Kevin Anderson, Burns' friend from prison, read the transcript of the hearing, he was stunned. He sent "48 Hours" an email, some of which I read to him when we spoke again after the hearing. Erin Moriarty (reading email): "Reading this transcript is hurting my head, heart and soul. This man is absolutely not ready to be released." Kevin Anderson: No. The way he came across in that hearing, he was absolutely not ready … All the work he has done, I didn't see it showing up there at all. Four days after the hearing, Nina and Harriet went to the gravesite to deliver the news. Nina Salarno: We got a five-year-denial, dad. So I'm still holding strong to my promise to you. It was Catina's 64th birthday. Nina Salarno: Catina, I think that's the best birthday present we could give you was that denial. So thank you for watching over mom and watching over everyone Harriet Salarno: Happy birthday Catina … I love you both so much and miss you. Steven Burns is expected to go before the parole board again in 2030. Produced by Liza Finley and Gabriella Demirdjian. Cindy Cesare and Greg Fisher are the development producers. Lauren Turner Dunn is the associate producer. Doreen Schechter, Gregory F. McLaughlin, Chris Crater and Michael Vele are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
