Mother Fearful Parole Policy Change Could Let Daughter's Killer Go Free
STOCKTON (CBS13) — He murdered his high-school sweetheart 30 years ago, and now her mother is fearful he could seek revenge against the rest of the family if he's granted parole.
Harriet Salarno's daughter was murdered on the University of the Pacific campus in 1979. The man who shot her execution style had posed in high-school photos in the years before.
It was 18-year-old Catina Salarno's boyfriend, Steven Burns.
"I keep saying why? How come? It's a nightmare," she said.
The high-profile crime captured the nation's attention. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 17 years to life. Cameras followed each of his nine parole hearings. He's been denied every time.
Harriet Salarno has attended and testified against his release each time. She founded the nonprofit advocacy group Crime Victims United.
"I don't want any family to go through this," she said. "How do you know who's going to be the next one?"
But the tenth time may be the charm for Burns.
A shift in parole policy is leading to more prisoners being released. Commissioners considering parole are no longer allowed to take into account the viciousness of a crime alone, such as the execution-style murder that landed Burns behind bars.
Salarno has collected a binder full of letters sent to the prison parole board urging that Burns stay locked up, including a letter signed by more than a dozen state Senate Republicans.
"I have studied this man for a long time," she said. "I've known him, and when he doesn't get his way, he destroys."
