S3, Ep. 3: An Inside Look with Lt. Versiga - Pt 2

In December 1978, twenty-year-old Debra Gunter vanished from the Li’l General store where she worked the overnight shift in Gautier, Mississippi. Days later, her body was discovered miles away in rural Alabama. Sellers & Stormy share Debra’s story, uncovering long-buried details and connecting with investigator Lt. Darren Versiga, whose renewed look at the case may finally shed light on what happened that night. This is more than a mystery—it’s the story of a young woman who deserves to be remembered.

In this episode of Unforgotten, we sit down with Lt. Darren Versiga, a Pascagoula Police Department investigator known for his work on cold cases across the Gulf Coast. Together, we take a deep dive into the 1978 unsolved murder of Debra Gunter, examining how the investigation unfolded then, what’s known now, and what modern investigative practices could reveal that simply wasn’t possible at the time.

Lt. Versiga brings decades of experience to the conversation—offering expert insight into victimology, evidence handling, and the obstacles investigators face when working cases that are nearly 50 years old. His perspective helps us understand not just Debra’s case, but the broader challenges of solving violent crimes from an era when documentation, forensic tools, and interagency communication looked very different from today.

This is an episode for anyone who wants to understand how cold case investigations work behind the scenes—and why renewed public awareness may be the key to finally getting justice for Debra.

Got information? 

📞Contact Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 228-769-3063 or through their mobile app, available for download here. 

📞Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers via telephone at 877-787-5898 or through their website.

📱Text or call our tip line at 251-501-COLD (2653)

📧Email [email protected] 

💻Submit using our contact form on alcoldcase.com.

Ways to donate to Operation Safe Return

Text OSR to 53555 to receive a donation link.

Donate directly at givebutter.com/operationsafereturn.

Learn more at alcoldcase.com/operation-safe-return.

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