Naman Shrestha
When Steven Burns brutally killed his estranged 18-year-old girlfriend, Catina Salarno, on the first day of arriving at her college in 1979, her parents, Harriet and Michael Salvatore Salarno, and her two sisters, Nina Salarno and Regina Salarno-Novello, were shocked and devastated. Although they had known about the death threats Steven had given Catina, they never took those threats seriously. As their entire world was turned upside down by the tragedy, they actively worked towards getting justice for Catina immediately. Featuring exclusive interviews with loved ones, CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Boy Across the Street’ delves deep into the case, the investigation, and the intense trial that followed.
Harriet Salarno is Still an Integral Member of Crime Victims United
Hailing from San Francisco, California, Harriet Salarno is a graduate of the University of Southern California, from where she earned her degree in Dental Hygiene. She revealed in an interview that her late daughter, Catina Salarno, was born prematurely and went through multiple hospitalizations while growing up. When she first met Steven Burns, she believed him to be a good boy for her daughter. Unfortunately, she was proven wrong as he went on to kill Catina.
After the loss of her daughter in 1979, she co-founded Crime Victims United of California, a non-profit organization that has been serving as the voice for victims and provides all kinds of services, including legal guidance, to those in need. Besides being the co-founder, she also serves as the Chairperson of the organization. Living in Sacramento, California, Harriet Salarno has also spearheaded many movements to prevent California’s death penalty from being abolished, through Crime Victims United. Although not much is known about her personal life, we can tell that her husband, Michael Salvatore Salarno, passed away, and she maintains a close-knit bond with her other two daughters, Nina Salarno and Regina Salarno-Novello.
Nina Salarno’s Life Revolves Around Her Husband, Daughter, and Mother
After graduating from Mercy High School in 1984, Nina Salarno majored in Legal Studies from Dominican University of California before graduating from New College of California in 1992 with a higher degree in Law. The murder of her sister in 1979 played an important role in her becoming an activist and pursuing a career in Law. She began her career as an attorney in Placer County, where she was a Sexual Assault Attorney for a year. Next, she turned into a Domestic Violence Attorney in Sacramento County from 1995 to 1999. Since March 2002, Nina has been serving as an attorney at The Law Office of Nina Salarno Ashford, through which she protects the rights of vulnerable individuals in society.
Alongside her mother, she is also an executive board member of Crime Victims United of California and worked with the organization to pass California’s Victims’ Bill of Rights (Marsy’s Law). Given her position and experience, Nina has been invited to attend several events and lecture at multiple seminars across the nation. Since 2023, she has been serving as the District Attorney in Modoc County, California. In early April 2025, she was busy attending several State Legislature events, including a Proposition 36 100-Day Progress Event and Induction of CR 36 Victims’ Rights Week Proclamation. In early May 2025, she also participated in the annual Modoc Crisis Center Denim Day festivities.
In 2016, Nina tied the knot with the love of her life, Jim, with whom she currently resides in Auburn, California. They are parents to two furry little friends, whom they consider part of their family. Moreover, she has a daughter named Lexi from a previous relationship. Nina shares a close bond with her daughter as they spend a lot of quality time together. Lexi made her mother proud in May 2024 after she graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a major in English Writing and a minor in Gender, Race, and Identity. Moreover, Nina’s daughter is in a healthy and long relationship with a man named Ryan Miller.
Regina Salarno-Novello is a Doting Mother and Grandmother
Regina Salarno-Novello completed her nursing studies at St. Mary’s College and Samuel Merritt College of Nursing before earning her Master’s degree from Aspen University. Between July 2016 and July 2022, she was employed at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital as the Senior Manager of Clinical Operations – Outpatient Services. Residing in Windsor, California, Regina is a doting mother to a daughter named Alyssa Rose and a son named Brayden Novello. However, she has kept the details of her relationship private.
Her son, Brayden, went to Camp Pendleton in late 2014 to begin his training as a member of the US Marine Corps. Currently, he is leading a private life in Truckee, California. As for her daughter, Alyssa got married to the love of her life, David Johnson, on May 13, 2023, and began the next chapter of her life. In October 2024, Regina became a grandmother when her daughter gave birth to her first child. Alyssa has also lovingly embraced David’s daughter from a previous relationship. Regina’s love for dogs has also transferred to her daughter, who is also a parent to two dogs with her husband.
Read More: Where is Steven Burns Now?
