On what should have been the first day of a bright future, 18-year-old Catina Rose Salarno was senselessly murdered by the boy who lived across the street—her former boyfriend, Steven Burns. This shocking act of violence didn’t just destroy a family; it ignited a decades-long fight for justice that would help reshape victims' rights laws in California.
A Promising Life Cut Short
Catina Rose Salarno had just begun her college journey at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, in 1979. She was described as vibrant, kind, and ambitious. But just hours into her first day, she agreed to meet her ex-boyfriend, Steven Burns, who had been obsessively attempting to reconcile after their breakup.
What was supposed to be a goodbye conversation turned deadly.
Steven Burns, just 19 at the time, lured Catina into his car under the pretense of closure. But instead, he drove her to a secluded area and shot her in the head at point-blank range with a .38 caliber revolver. Then, he calmly walked into a police station and turned himself in. The chilling murder sent shockwaves through the Stockton community and devastated the Salarno family.
The Boy Across the Street
The murder gained renewed attention in 2024 when CBS's 48 Hours aired a haunting episode titled The Boy Across the Street. The documentary explored the depth of the tragedy, the emotional toll it took on Catina's loved ones, and the long-term consequences of the crime.
Burns had lived just across the street from the Salarno family. He wasn’t a stranger. He was someone they trusted, someone they had welcomed into their home—an unthinkable betrayal that made the crime even more horrific.
A Sister’s Vow for Justice
While the criminal justice system swiftly convicted Burns and sentenced him to 17 years to life, it did little to ease the grief of the Salarno family. But instead of being paralyzed by pain, Catina’s younger sister, Nina Salarno Besselman, turned anguish into action.
At just 12 years old, Nina promised her sister at the funeral that she would never stop fighting for justice. She kept that promise.
Over the years, Nina pursued a law degree, became a prosecutor, and ultimately emerged as a powerful advocate for crime victims. With each of Burns’ parole hearings—he has had more than a dozen—Nina has stood before the parole board, demanding that her sister’s voice be heard and that her killer remains behind bars.
A Catalyst for Marsy’s Law
The Salarno family didn’t just attend hearings—they fought to change the law. Their advocacy helped lead to the creation and passage of Marsy’s Law in 2008, a California constitutional amendment that significantly expanded the rights of crime victims.
Thanks to this law, victims and their families now have the legal right to be heard during bail hearings, plea bargains, sentencing, and parole hearings. It also provides better notification of legal proceedings and protections from the accused.
Nina co-founded the organization Crime Victims United, which continues to champion these rights nationwide.
Steven Burns Today
Despite multiple parole hearings, Steven Burns remains incarcerated more than four decades after the murder. At each review, the Salarno family relives the pain of that day, compelled to advocate once again to keep him behind bars. Their fight underscores the emotional burden families carry—long after the headlines fade.
The question remains: Can justice ever truly be served when a promising life like Catina’s is stolen in such a brutal, premeditated way?
Why This Story Still Matters
Catina Rose Salarno’s story is a tragic reminder of the dangers of intimate partner violence and the lasting impact it has on victims’ families. But her legacy—through the relentless work of her sister Nina—is also one of hope, resilience, and legal reform.
The Boy Across the Street is more than just a true crime tale. It’s a story of a family that turned heartbreak into purpose and forever changed how crime victims are treated in the legal system.
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True Crime