Teen’s first day of college ended in killing by ex-boyfriend
CBS’s “48 Hours” revisits the 1979 murder of Catina Rose Salarno and her family’s decades-long fight over domestic violence.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Catina Rose Salarno was 18 and just starting her freshman year at the University of the Pacific when, according to CBS’s “48 Hours,” her ex-boyfriend Steven Burns asked to see her one final time.
The meeting on the Stockton, California, campus in September 1979 ended with Burns fatally shooting Salarno in the back of the head after she refused to resume their relationship, “48 Hours” reported. Burns was convicted of second-degree murder in 1980.
Salarno’s college roommate, Joanne Marks, told “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty that Salarno did not want to meet Burns that night, but believed the conversation might end his attempts to contact her.
“She believed that he would stop bothering her,” Marks told the program.
A high school romance turned dangerous
According to “48 Hours,” Burns and his family moved across the street from the Salarnos in San Francisco in 1977, when he and Catina were high school sophomores. Their relationship began as a teen romance: she attended an all-girls high school, while Burns became captain of his school’s football team.
The Salarno family came to trust Burns, CBS reported, and treated him like one of their own. But by senior year, Catina wanted to end the relationship.
Her sister Nina Salarno told “48 Hours” that Burns became more aggressive as Catina pulled away. Both Nina and another sister, Regina Salarno-Novello, told the program that Burns had threatened to kill Catina, though the family did not believe he would act on it.
Regina Salarno-Novello said the family struggled to square the threats with the person they thought they knew, telling “48 Hours” that Burns had seemed to enjoy being part of the family.
On Catina’s first day at the University of the Pacific, Burns appeared on campus, CBS reported. Around 8 p.m., he took her to a dark, isolated area to talk about their relationship. When she would not get back together with him, he pulled a gun from his waistband and shot her, according to the program.
Her sister turned grief into a career
Nina Salarno was 14 when Burns was convicted. She told “48 Hours” that her sister’s murder changed the course of her life.
Nina later became a prosecutor focused on domestic violence cases and has served as district attorney in Modoc County, California, since 2023, according to CBS.
She told “48 Hours” that many domestic violence victims are not heard, are afraid to speak up, or do not understand the danger they face. She said victims often miss warning signs because they believe they know the person threatening them.
Nina also said the period when someone leaves an abusive relationship can be especially dangerous, because an abuser may feel they are losing control.
Her advice to victims, as relayed to “48 Hours,” was direct: once the break is made, avoid being alone with the person, do not take calls or texts, and cut off contact where possible.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or threats can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.