Family's battle for justice has impacted victims' rights
The 1979 murder of 18-year-old California college freshman Catina Salarno changed the course of her family's lives—sparking a decades-long battle to keep her killer in prison.
Updated on: July 25, 2026 / 11:00 PM EDT / CBS News
This story originally aired on May 3, 2025.
It shook the entire campus at the University of the Pacific. A freshman on her first day of college in 1979 was found unconscious, bleeding from her head, in a remote area of the school. Her name was Catina Salarno .
Harriet and Mike Salarno were getting ready for bed when the phone rang at their San Francisco home. Mike answered it. His tone signaled the news.
Harriet Salarno : I said … "what's wrong?" … he says, Catina has been shot and she's in the emergency room.
The Salarnos' two younger daughters, Regina and Nina, rushed to their side. Then the phone rang again.