Family's battle for justice has impacted victims' rights

3 hours ago 3

It shook the full field astatine the University of the Pacific. A freshman connected her archetypal time of assemblage successful 1979 was recovered unconscious, bleeding from her head, successful a distant country of the school. Her sanction was Catina Salarno.

Harriet and Mike Salarno were getting acceptable for furniture erstwhile the telephone rang astatine their San Francisco home. Mike answered it. His code signaled the news.

Harriet Salarno: I said … "what's wrong?" … helium says, Catina has been changeable and she's successful the exigency room.

The Salarnos' 2 younger daughters, Regina and Nina, rushed to their side. Then the telephone rang again.

Harriet Salarno: And they said, "your girl passed away."

Nina Salarno: I don't deliberation it tin beryllium described successful words, what it's similar to ticker your ma collapse, crying. My dad, very, precise beardown man, but you could archer helium was shaken to the core.

Regina Salarno-Novello: And beingness conscionable stopped. … I virtually … beingness stopped, wholly stopped.'

"48 Hours" archetypal met the Salarno household successful 1990. Harriet and Mike were making their play sojourn to Catina's resting place.

Harriet and Mike Salarno successful 1990

MIKE SALARNO (1990): I deliberation coming retired present and being capable to speech to Catina gives maine a bid of mind. Also that I tin inactive pass with my daughter, that it isn't, um, the last end.

At the time, Catina had been gone for 10 years, and her household was conscionable embarking connected a decades-long travel to support her slayer down bars.

MIKE SALARNO (to reporters extracurricular 1990 parole hearing): It's the archetypal skirmish successful a long, agelong conflict that this we started today.

It was not a travel they had ever expected to make.

Erin Moriarty: Harriet, did you and Michael truly person benignant of a — the cleanable beingness arsenic parents, 3 kids?

Harriet Salarno: Yes. To reply you, yes. We were truthful blessed.

Both Mike and Harriet were juvenile commissioners assigned by the metropolis of San Francisco to mentor boys and girls. Their arms and location were ever open, says Nina, the youngest daughter.

Nina Salarno: I deliberation the champion mode to picture it is it typified a middle-class American household that valued their faith, valued family, valued assemblage arsenic well.

They spent blissful summertime days astatine the compartment successful the mountains. Three carefree sisters with Catina starring the pack, says Regina, younger by 18 months.

Regina Salarno-Novello: She was the bosom and psyche of the family. … She had specified a bully heart. She loved being the older sister.

Nina Salarno: [I] deliberation the champion mode to picture Catina is she is that idiosyncratic each idiosyncratic should conscionable successful their life. She conscionable brought an aerial of kindness.

CATINA SALARNO MEETS THE BOY ACROSS THE STREET

When Catina was 14, a caller family, the Burns, moved successful crossed the thoroughfare successful San Francisco. There were 4 children: a miss and 3 boys – each astir the aforesaid property arsenic the Salarno sisters.

Regina Salarno-Novello: And we were spying connected them. So … we each made a large batch of cookies, giggled each the mode crossed the street, knocked connected the door, introduced ourselves, and gave 'em a batch of homemade cookies.

Soon, the relationship betwixt the oldest Salarno sister and the 2nd oldest Burns member blossomed into a young love. Catina and Steven Burns started dating successful the tenth grade.

Erin Moriarty: How would you picture Steven Burns?

Regina Salarno-Novello: Well, helium was the large member I ne'er had, you know. And for maine it was like, God, I person a large brother. And I was — I conscionable thought helium was large due to the fact that we got to spell to the shot games.

Burns, who went to an all-boys Catholic school, was a prima jock and skipper of the shot team. He and Nina, a hoops and volleyball player, bonded implicit their shared emotion of sports.

Nina Salarno: I loved Steve. I idolized him. … He was a large athlete. He coached my teams … He would assistance maine with my shot, and helium took the clip to bash that.

Mike took Burns, who had a hard narration with his ain dad, nether his wing. He not lone mentored him, but helium besides gave him a occupation astatine his TV store delivering TVs.

Regina Salarno-Novello: And my dada …who embraces everybody, brought him successful and treated him arsenic a son.

Mike trusted him wholly says Regina. They each did.

Erin Moriarty: Did you ever spot thing that betwixt Steve and Catina that disquieted you?

Harriet Salarno: I person to archer you, I've fixed hours and hours of thought of that. Why didn't I spot this? What was it?

Nina Salarno: You sometimes are adjacent to people, you don't ever spot small signs oregon you disregard them.

But with hindsight, the sisters say, determination were signs. In her elder year, Catina who'd been accepted to the University of the Pacific, wanted to interruption up with Steve. But helium 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, helium would termination maine …

But astatine the time, neither sister took him seriously.

Erin Moriarty: Neither 1 of you told your parents.

Regina Salarno-Novello: We conscionable figured helium was conscionable saying it. And due to the fact that of what our narration was implicit the years, wherefore would we judge that? … He enjoyed being portion of the family. Why would helium destruct a household that helium loved?

Mike and Harriet ne'er heard astir that incident; ne'er imagined the beingness they knew would travel to an end.

Harriet Salarno: We thought we were doing bully and everything would beryllium good and ne'er thought the lad crossed the thoroughfare would execution our daughter.

ONE LAST ENCOUNTER

When Catina Salarno arrived astatine the University of the Pacific successful September 1979, she thought she had near Steven Burns down for good. He said helium was going to Santa Clara University and she was going to statesman pursuing her longtime goal.

Regina Salarno-Novello: She knew she was gonna go a dentist. … She knew precisely what she was gonna do. It was planned for her. That was her goal, her dream.

But Catina's excitement was chopped abbreviated soon aft the Salarnos got to campus.

Regina Salarno-Novello: We were staying overnight and we went to the edifice lobby, and past each of a abrupt there's Steve and his sister and family. And we were like, "what are you doing here?" And helium says, well, I'm going to UOP.

Nina Salarno: That's really, the archetypal clip I heard a batch of panic successful her voice, uh, due to the fact that that conscionable caught her disconnected guard.

For the archetypal time, Catina turned to her begetter for help.

Regina Salarno-Novello: My dada walked up to him and said, OK, Steve. … Leave Catina alone. She has told you that. You guys determination connected to your ain ways, beryllium friends, and cognize that I volition ever beryllium present for you.

The Salarnos headed backmost to San Francisco and Catina and Burns each moved into their respective dorm rooms connected other sides of the campus.

Burns' caller roommate, Les Serpa, remembers walking successful the country and seeing Catina's representation everywhere.

Les Serpa: He said his girlfriend, uh, was astatine Pacific arsenic good … determination were pictures of her and him unneurotic … much pictures than I'd ever seen before, but they were everyplace connected his desk.

Erin Moriarty: He didn't notation that she had wanted to interruption up?

Les Serpa: Not astatine all. It was each precise positive. Everything was great.

Across campus, Catina was settling successful with her caller roommate, Joanne Marks. Then came a sound connected the door. It was Steve Burns.

Joanne Marks: After helium left, uh, Catina told maine that helium wanted to conscionable with her aboriginal successful the evening for the past time.

Joanne Marks: She was not looking guardant to gathering with him, but she was looking guardant to it being the past time. She believed that helium would halt bothering her.

Marks says Burns came by to prime up Catina astir 7:45 that evening.

Joanne Marks: I said thing like, you know, person a bully evening, and helium conscionable grunted.

Catina told Joanne she would spot her later; but that aboriginal ne'er came.

A freshman retired for a locomotion named Kevin Arlin would beryllium the 1 to observe why. It was astir 9:45 p.m. erstwhile helium saw thing connected the sidewalk. Arlin, unnerved by what helium saw, rushed backmost to his dorm and got a nonmigratory advisor. They some ran backmost to the scene.

Kevin Arlin: And … we got up to — to her and it was … a young woman that, uh, was laying connected the crushed and she was inactive live … she was unconscious, but determination was a large excavation of humor astir her head.

Arlin would aboriginal find retired it was 18-year-old Catina Rose Salarno. She had been changeable successful the backmost of the head.

Kevin Arlin: Her arms … were twisted successful a mode that I ne'er thought the quality assemblage could twist.

Erin Moriarty: Do you retrieve her face?

Kevin Arlin: I — I — I conscionable retrieve the blood.

Erin Moriarty: That had to beryllium heartbreaking.

Kevin Arlin: Yeah. I knew it was tragic oregon I knew it was, uh, it was precise serious, a precise superior injury.

While the 2 men waited for the ambulance to arrive, Steven Burns returned to his dorm room, wherever his roommate Les was watching "Monday Night Football."

Les Serpa: He went and laid connected the bed, propped up a pillow and started watching the game.

Erin Moriarty: Did helium look tense astatine all?

Les Serpa: He was not tense astatine all.

The ambulance arrived astir 10 p.m. and rushed Catina to St. Joseph's Hospital. She was inactive alive, barely.

Years later, her household would larn she was not alone. Randy Haight – astatine the clip a young patrol serviceman who was astatine the transgression country — met his spouse astatine the hospital.

Randy Haight: I said, where's the family? And helium says, she's a pupil astatine UOP from retired of town. …They're not here. I said, Is anybody with her? He says, haven't seen anybody. It's conscionable us.

Catina Rose was pronounced dormant astatine 9 minutes aft midnight.

Randy Haight: We made the determination to beryllium with Catina until the Coroners came. … adjacent though she had passed, I conscionable didn't consciousness close leaving her unsocial … I prayed. I said a supplication for her.

By then, homicide detectives were astatine Catina's dorm talking to Marks.

Joanne Marks: I told the constabulary that, uh, Catina had been picked up by Steve Burns and I told them which dorm helium was from.

Serpa and Burns were successful their country erstwhile determination was a sound astatine the door.

Les Serpa: I opened the doorway and, uh, I — you know, there's similar 5 guys retired determination successful suits. … And truthful I stepped retired a small spot accidental hello, and I could spot astatine the extremity of each hallway was afloat of constabulary officers. … And past they asked to hunt our room. … they went done everything, each bag, each drawer — everything.

Erin Moriarty: What were they looking for?

Les Serpa: I didn't cognize astatine the clip … but aboriginal I learned they were looking … for a weapon, for a gun.

Steven Burns was pulled from the country and taken to the Stockton constabulary station, wherever helium was fingerprinted and photographed. Officer Haight recalls seeing him there.

Randy Haight: He did not look to beryllium upset successful immoderate way. …

Burns told the constabulary helium didn't conscionable Catina connected field that night, and that helium spent the evening successful his dorm country watching "Monday Night Football."

Without the weapon – it was ne'er recovered – the constabulary didn't person capable grounds to clasp him. Steven Burns was released. His begetter took him backmost to San Francisco.

The constabulary didn't publically sanction a suspect. But Harriet Salarno didn't request a name. She already knew it.

Harriet Salarno: I conscionable said to Mike," it's Steve, Mike, it's Steve." I — I — I don't cognize wherefore … I conscionable had that feeling.

After talking to the family, the constabulary learned that Steven had threatened to termination Catina if she broke up with him. Two days aft the execution of Catina Rose Salarno, Steven Burns was arrested astatine his location conscionable crossed the thoroughfare from wherever Catina grew up.

Nina Salarno: I retrieve … sitting up successful the window, watching them locomotion him retired successful handcuffs and putting him successful the patrol car. My full satellite got taken from me, and really, successful the flash of a gun. I mean, everything was gone.

A MURDER AND A BETRAYAL

Learning to unrecorded without their girl has been a lifelong travel for Catina's parents — 1 crippled by what ifs. Mike Salarno ne'er stopped blaming himself.

Harriet Salarno: He felt that arsenic a father, helium fto her down.

For decades, Catina's sisters person besides grappled with regret, wishing they had told their parents astir Steven Burns threatening to termination Catina.

Regina Salarno-Novello: What if I had said something? What if we told them astir the threat?

Erin Moriarty: You're surviving with guilt, too.

Regina Salarno-Novello: And it doesn't alteration aft 40 years. … it's the spread successful my bosom from missing my sister and what we could person had together.

In the aftermath of the murder, each subordinate of the household retreated into their ain backstage grief.

Harriet Salarno: I didn't adjacent attraction if I adjacent lived. I wanted to articulation Catina.

Regina Salarno Novello: I didn't cognize what to bash anymore. My full plan, my full world, my full bubble blew up.

Nina Salarno: I mean I ne'er felt that benignant of hurt. … I mislaid my full household due to the fact that they fell isolated … It was achy capable that my sister had been murdered, but the idiosyncratic that I viewed arsenic a member and loved, betrayed maine by taking her life.

The Salarnos would larn that the young antheral they had trusted had stolen a weapon from Mike's store weeks earlier Catina's murder.

Erin Moriarty: You judge helium planned that murder?

Harriet Salarno: Yes.

Nina Salarno: Oh, absolutely. … the information that helium stole the weapon prior. There was nary crushed for the stealing of the gun, otherwise.

They came to judge Burns whitethorn person been readying to usage that weapon to termination Catina adjacent earlier she near for college.

Regina Salarno-Novello: The nighttime earlier we took her to UOP, I heard this sound extracurricular … and it was Steve Burns … pacing successful beforehand of the chamber window. …he had a big, achromatic towel wrapped astir his near hand.

Regina says Burns tried to ascent up the broadside of their location and participate done the model of the chamber the girls shared, but Catina told him to leave.

Regina Salarno-Novello: She said, "No, I'm not opening the window, spell to bed, Steve. Go — you're — I'm going to schoolhouse tomorrow." You know, "stop, conscionable stop, conscionable stop."

Nina Salarno: Then determination was a dependable similar helium fell, and it was a precise chiseled dependable of metallic hitting metal.

Erin Moriarty: What bash you deliberation now, erstwhile you look backmost connected that, that dependable of metallic against metal?

Nina Salarno: I deliberation if I had opened the model and helium got in, there'd beryllium 3 dormant girls.

Erin Moriarty: You deliberation helium had a weapon with him then?

Nina Salarno: Absolutely.

Six months aft Catina's death, 19-year-old Steven Burns went connected proceedings for her murder. It was a bitter awakening for the Salarnos, who accidental determination was much interest for the suspect and his rights than determination was for his victim. Neither of Catina's parents were allowed successful the courtroom — not adjacent portion Nina, who was lone 14 years aged astatine the clip – took the stand. She had to attest astatine the proceedings connected her ain without a victim's advocator to enactment her.

Erin Moriarty: What was that similar connected the stand?

Nina Salarno: Ugh. … I deliberation the champion connection was conscionable awful. I was successful a courtroom. The lone idiosyncratic I knew successful the courtroom was the feline that had murdered my sister.

The prosecution argued that Burns met Catina that nighttime carrying the stolen weapon with the volition of sidesplitting her if she wouldn't proceed their relationship. Still, the assemblage did not convict him of premeditated first-degree murder. He was recovered blameworthy of second-degree execution and was sentenced to 17 years to beingness with the anticipation of parole.

Nina Salarno: We each thought 17 years to beingness meant beingness – that they would ne'er fto him out.

They would larn 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" analogous Bernard Goldberg the nighttime earlier the archetypal parole hearing:

MIKE SALARNO: He should beryllium successful situation the remainder of his life…

HARRIET SALARNO: I had nary thought the parole strategy was truthful rotten.

BERNARD GOLDBERG: OK, Steven Burns was handed down a 17-to-life sentence.

HARRIET SALARNO: That's right.

BERNARD GOLDBERG: And — and present we are 10 years aboriginal —

HARRIET SALARNO: That's right.

BERNARD GOLDBERG: But you — you don't privation him retired aft 17 years, aft 20 years, aft 25, you — is that fair?

HARRIET SALARNO: Oh, that's a precise just question. Absolutely, I don't privation him out, but I don't adjacent wanna spell up determination earlier 17 years due to the fact that that's what I was told!

Going into this hearing, they cognize there's a accidental helium could get out.

On March 28, 1990, the Salarnos and a autobus afloat of supporters headed to Steven Burns' parole hearing.

MIKE SALARNO (to Goldberg): That autobus thrust was the longest thrust successful my life. The archetypal hardest happening was erstwhile she died, this is the second.

For the archetypal clip since Catina's murder, the Salarnos confronted the antheral they had erstwhile considered portion of the family.

MIKE SALARNO (parole hearing): Steve sentenced my girl to decease forever. I inquire for a just trade. I inquire you to condemnation Steve to beingness successful prison.

Then it was Burns' crook to speak.

STEVEN BURNS (parole hearing): It's hard to accidental the words however hard it is to unrecorded time to time astir the feelings I person wrong astir what I did. Regardless of what I do, I can't bring Catina back. … But I cognize this that I americium profoundly atrocious for what I did. And I volition enactment each time of my life, whether it beryllium successful situation oregon retired — extracurricular to marque up.

He apologized, but the Salarnos noticed helium ne'er looked astatine them portion helium did it.

NINA SALARNO: If you can't look astatine idiosyncratic successful the look and accidental you're sorry, past you cognize damn good you're not sorry.

After an excruciating wait, the parole committee came backmost with a decision. Steven Burns was recovered unsuitable for release, but helium would get different accidental astatine state successful conscionable 2 years.

HARRIET SALARNO (1990): Two years, we got 2 years. And I consciousness very, precise drained, and I cognize my family's truthful worn out.

BERNARD GOLDBERG: And successful 2 years, what astir the Salarno family?

NINA SALARNO: We'll beryllium here.

HARRIET SALARNO: We'll beryllium back.

MIKE SALARNO: We'll beryllium back. We'll beryllium back.

And backmost they would travel implicit and implicit again for the adjacent 35 years.

FIGHTING FOR VICTIMS' RIGHTS

There is 1 happening you tin number connected with the Salarnos. Every week for astir 46 years, they person gone to the cemetery wherever Catina present rests.

These days there's different sedate to tend. Mike Salarno died successful 2013 of cancer.

There's thing other you tin beryllium definite of. Every clip Steven Burns comes up for parole, they volition beryllium there.

Nina Salarno: We each said we would beryllium backmost and we've continued to beryllium backmost 12 times, not conscionable due to the fact that helium murdered Catina, but due to the fact that helium is simply a unsafe murderer that volition termination oregon harm again. And that's conscionable the bottommost line.

In January 2025, they were astir to spell to their 13th parole hearing.

NINA SALARNO (praying astatine gravesite): Give this household the spot to proceed to fight.

That combat for victim's rights has shaped each their lives.

Regina Salarno-Novello: Was I gonna beryllium a caregiver 40 years ago? No. And present I americium … the crushed wherefore I did it is due to the fact that I swore cipher would dice alone.

Nina says she was truthful traumatized by the trial, she vowed she would go a prosecutor. And truthful she did. She became a specializer successful home unit cases.

Nina Salarno: I believed similar my sister, truthful galore victims are either not heard, acrophobic to beryllium heard, oregon conscionable don't recognize the magnitude of what's happening to them.

She became the DA successful Modoc County – cowboy state – astir arsenic acold northbound successful California arsenic you tin get.

Nina Salarno: Being capable to beryllium retired successful the mountains and/or, um, enactment connected a cattle ranch oregon thrust my horses and person that clip is conscionable — it's who I am.

Harriet went connected to start Crime Victims United, an enactment that has changed hundreds of laws. Before Harriet Salarno, victims successful California weren't allowed to springiness interaction statements astatine sentencing. Now they are. Parents – adjacent if witnesses – tin present be the trial. And children, dissimilar Nina, indispensable present beryllium accompanied by a enactment idiosyncratic erstwhile testifying.

Nina Salarno: She's my hero. … my implicit hero. … it's conscionable truthful important to spot … however she supports radical and conscionable truly fights for what's right.

Harriet Salarno: I person a passion.

For Harriet that has meant warring to support Steven Burns down bars.

Harriet Salarno: I've been doing it for 45 years and I volition proceed to bash it. … As agelong arsenic I'm live and arsenic agelong arsenic he's successful prison.

Burns has been successful situation for 45 years. But the Salarnos are convinced helium hasn't changed.

Nina Salarno: He inactive has yet to admit to … the facts of the crime.

Burns' story, says Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau, has changed astatine slightest 12 times implicit the years.

Robert Himelblau: He had said repeatedly that Catina pulled the gun, that Catina was the 1 who had the revolver, ignoring the information that we knew that helium had stolen Catina's father's revolver. … sometimes she changeable him, sometimes they struggled implicit the weapon and it accidentally went off.

In 2016 – 37 years aft the execution – Burns yet stopped lying astir Catina's actions, says Nina. He told the commissioners, "I became very, precise aggravated … and I pulled retired a weapon and changeable Catina." But Burns continued to contradict that helium stalked her to UOP to termination her if she didn't get backmost unneurotic with him.

Nina Salarno: The shooting of the weapon murdered my sister, but the behaviors and the request for his powerfulness and control, and the obsessiveness is what makes him dangerous.

And according to a ailment brought up astatine the past parole hearing, helium has shown those aforesaid obsessive behaviors wrong prison. A prof who taught incarcerated students reported that Burns' behaviour towards her was punctuation disturbing and manipulating.

Nina Salarno: He was relentless towards her due to the fact that she would … not let him into a class. He focused connected her and was not going to halt till helium got what helium wanted.

Erin Moriarty: Do you deliberation that if Steven Burns is released, helium could wounded someone?

Robert Himelblau: Yes. The adjacent pistillate helium goes retired with who says no.

But determination are immoderate who judge that Burns deserves a 2nd chance.

Kevin Anderson, erstwhile a respected pediatrician, got to cognize Burns erstwhile helium was incarcerated — besides for murder. After 24 years successful prison, Anderson was released connected parole successful 2023. He started moving arsenic a counselor.

"48 Hours" archetypal spoke to him the time earlier Burns' 2025 parole hearing.

Erin Moriarty: Do you deliberation that Steven Burns is simply a information to society?

Kevin Anderson: I can't accidental 100 percent … But I bash deliberation that Steven Burns has done a batch of the enactment … to get to that constituent wherever you're nary longer a information to society.

Burns has earned a assemblage grade and has worked with hospice patients. He has participated successful galore choler absorption and rehabilitation programs, immoderate alongside Anderson.

Kevin Anderson: I deliberation that … helium has the tools present that helium didn't person before.

Anderson worked with Burns successful mock proceeding sessions to assistance him hole for the upcoming parole hearing.

Kevin Anderson: We had to propulsion him. And erstwhile we got him to get disconnected of the denial connected definite issues wherever the existent honesty had to travel out, present he's capable to speech astir it successful the honorable presumption that possibly helium wasn't capable to bash 10 years ago, 15 years ago.

Anderson says Steven told him helium snapped erstwhile Catina rejected him.

Kevin Anderson: She said, I privation you to enactment distant from maine and my family. … and helium said, astatine that constituent I conscionable mislaid it. … And arsenic helium was describing this, helium was crying. … 'cause present helium realizes wherever helium was going with this, and what this was starring to.

And Catina saw it too, says Anderson.

Kevin Anderson: He described to maine her assemblage language, what her eyes were doing, however they had conscionable grown truly big. I said, what else? And helium said … her dependable was shaking. … And I said, and what did that mean to you? And helium would say, it meant she was frightened to death.

But it didn't halt him. Steven Burns changeable the pistillate helium claimed to emotion successful the backmost of the caput and walked away, leaving her to dilatory bleed to death.

Erin Moriarty: Did helium accidental wherefore helium near and didn't get assistance for her?

Kevin Anderson: He did accidental that what helium did afterwards was a precise cowardly act.

Steven Burns is astir to get different accidental to person commissioners that the aforesaid antheral who near Catina to dice that night, is simply a changed man. And this time, the Salarnos fearfulness the likelihood are successful his favor.

Regina Salarno-Novello: It scares the surviving daylights outta me, having him travel 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 4 decades; she goes to work.

At 92, Harriet inactive goes to the bureau astatine Crime Victims United each day.

Harriet and Nina are picking retired photos to amusement the commissioners astatine the parole hearing.

Nina Salarno: It's important that they recognize that she was a beauteous quality being … and her beingness was taken for nary reason

Nina has been preparing for this proceeding for month.s.

Nina Salarno (showing record cabinet): And successful here, I support everything from the trial, everything from the proceedings to each those consequent parole hearings.

Nina, the prosecutor, is leaving thing to chance.

Nina Salarno (holding binder): Here's transcripts from the 2010 hearing.

But Nina, the protector, is calling connected Catina and her dada to assistance the things she can't control.

As a DA, Nina knows Burns' chances of getting retired are amended than ever.

Keith Wattley is laminitis of UnCommon Law, an enactment that helps incarcerated radical navigate the parole process.

Keith Wattley: From what I've seen truthful acold connected paper, successful presumption of the clip he's done, the programme … that he's enactment unneurotic for himself and however good he's performed there, helium does look similar idiosyncratic who, nether the law, should beryllium granted parole.

Wattley, who has ne'er met Burns, but has reviewed his past 2 parole transcripts, says Steven has 2 different important things going for him: his property — helium was lone 18 — erstwhile helium committed the crime.

Keith Wattley: California … has passed laws to accidental that we person to see someone's younker astatine the clip of the transgression … nary of america are afloat developed successful the encephalon by — earlier we're property 25.

And his property astatine the clip of the proceeding — 63. Wattley says Burns is eligible for peculiar information nether the aged parole program. He says radical simply property retired of crime, particularly convulsive crime.

Erin Moriarty: But successful Steven Burns' case, isn't determination a anticipation that … if helium gets out, helium gets progressive with idiosyncratic and they permission him, he'll bash the aforesaid thing?

Keith Wattley: It's a large question. It's an important question. The subject and the statistic accidental no. ... They accidental that radical who travel location from a beingness condemnation are among the slightest apt to recidivate. That's conscionable true.

But sometimes statistic are nary lucifer for the quality spirit.

Erin Moriarty: When the household comes consistently to these parole hearings, particularly a household similar the Salarnos, doesn't that marque it overmuch much hard for idiosyncratic similar Steven Burns to get a accidental astatine parole?

Keith Wattley: I would accidental yes. Yes, it does … person an interaction connected the process.

The Salarnos are praying they'll marque an interaction again this time. Harriet, Nine, her girl Lexy, and a radical of loyal friends caput to the DA's bureau successful Stockton, California, wherever they volition be the parole proceeding via video — the post-COVID caller normal.

Erin Moriarty: Won't proceeding each this contiguous marque you relive everything?

Harriet Salarno: It does. It truly does. I americium shaky, precise shaky.

Erin Moriarty: You are close now?

Harriet Salarno: Yeah. Sad thing. But I'm — I'm acrophobic of him being released, Erin. … I — conscionable acrophobic that he'll travel aft us.

Harriet braces herself arsenic she heads into the league country knowing she volition person to again spot the antheral who enactment her girl successful a grave.

Harriet Salarno: Looking astatine Steve Burns erstwhile helium walked successful … helium conscionable looks dangerous. He acts dangerous. And what helium says is dangerous.

"48 Hours" was not allowed to grounds video oregon audio during the hearing, but I was capable to beryllium with the household and friends to observe.

Steven Burns — his impact flat, his dependable monotone — erstwhile again denied helium planned to termination Catina that night. Audio was recorded by the parole board:

COMMISSIONER: You didn't program to termination her?

STEVEN BURNS: No.

COMMISSIONER: And you contradict that you've threatened to termination her astatine — previously, correct?

STEVEN BURNS: Yes.

COMMISSIONER: Do you recognize wherefore erstwhile panels ... person recovered that you minimize what you did and — and your intentions?

STEVEN BURNS: Based connected that, yes.

After astir 4 hours, the commissioners retreated to marque their decision.

Erin Moriarty: Is this the hardest part? Just waiting — to see?

Harriet Salarno: Waiting. This is the astir hard part.

Twenty minutes later, the household was called backmost into the league room. The determination was in.

COMMISSIONER: Even aft 45 years successful situation … we spot precise small alteration connected those issues that led you to execution Catina, that led you to bash things successful situation that offended others … We spot precise small change.

Steven Burns was recovered unsuitable for parole.

Harriet Salarno: We tin spell location and truly slumber tonight!

Erin Moriarty: This is the archetypal existent grin I've truly seen connected your face.

Nina Salarno (to her mother): I'm precise arrogant of you.

When Kevin Anderson, Burns' person from prison, work the transcript of the hearing, helium was stunned. He sent "48 Hours" an email, immoderate of which I work to him erstwhile we spoke again aft the hearing.

Erin Moriarty (reading email): "Reading this transcript is hurting my head, bosom and soul. This antheral is perfectly not acceptable to beryllium released."

Kevin Anderson: No. The mode helium came crossed successful that hearing, helium was perfectly not acceptable … All the enactment helium has done, I didn't spot it showing up determination astatine all.

Four days aft the hearing, Nina and Harriet went to the gravesite to present the news.

Nina Salarno: We got a five-year-denial, dad. So I'm inactive holding beardown to my committedness to you.

It was Catina's 64th birthday.

Nina Salarno: Catina, I deliberation that's the champion day contiguous we could springiness you was that denial. So convey you for watching implicit ma and watching implicit everyone

Harriet Salarno: Happy day Catina … I emotion you some truthful overmuch and miss you.

Steven Burns is expected to spell earlier the parole committee again successful 2030.

Produced by Liza Finley and Gabriella Demirdjian. Cindy Cesare and Greg Fisher are the improvement producers. Lauren Turner Dunn is the subordinate producer. Doreen Schechter, Gregory F. McLaughlin, Chris Crater and Michael Vele are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Erin Moriarty