Family's battle for justice has impacted victims' rights

The Salarno family's life was irrevocably altered when their eldest daughter, Catina, was found brutally attacked on her first day at the University of the Pacific in 1979. The incident, which left her unconscious and bleeding, led to her death and plunged her parents, Harriet and Mike Salarno, into a profound grief that would shape the rest of their lives.

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what's wrong?

Harriet and Mike, themselves juvenile commissioners dedicated to mentoring young people, were a strong, faith-centered family. Their home was described as open and welcoming, a stark contrast to the violence that shattered their idyllic middle-class existence. The loss of Catina, remembered as the "heart and soul" of the family, a kind and loving older sister, left an unfillable void. Her younger sisters, Regina and Nina, vividly recall the moment their parents received the devastating news and the immediate collapse of their world.

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Catina has been shot and she's in the emergency room.

What followed Catina's murder was not just a period of mourning, but the beginning of an arduous, decades-long journey for justice. The Salarnos were determined to ensure Catina's killer remained behind bars. As Mike Salarno stated outside a 1990 parole hearing, their fight was "the first skirmish in a long, long battle." This commitment extended beyond personal vengeance; their efforts have been instrumental in shaping victims' rights, demonstrating the profound impact one family's quest for justice can have on the legal landscape.

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your daughter passed away.