Page 22 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2026

PEOPLE
story by Cherie Ward photos courtesy of Darren Versiga
After nearly four decades in law enforcement, newly retired Pascagoula Police Lt. Darren Versiga admits
there is one thing he may never fully walk away from— the cold cases. “The day I die is the day I’ll stop
looking into cold cases,” Versiga said.
For most of his career, Versiga carried the kind
of work many people spend their lives trying not to think about—murders, drugs, forgotten cases,
and unidentified remains tied to some of the Gulf Coast’s darkest moments.
Versiga began his career as a reserve officer in 1988 before becoming a full-time Pascagoula police officer in 1992. Over the years, he worked
narcotics during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, served with the district attorney’s office, operated a private
investigation business, and eventually returned to the Pascagoula Police Department in 2009.
Along the way, he witnessed both crime and investigations evolve dramatically. “When crack cocaine hit this area, it devastated families,” he said. “We saw things no one ever wanted to see.”
Some of the Coast’s most memorable criminal cases passed through his career, including homicides, child abductions, and eventually one of the nation’s most prolific serial killer investigations.
Versiga was extensively involved in efforts linking serial killer Samuel Little to victims in Mississippi. Little, who confessed to 93 murders across the country spanning from the 1970s through 2005, was ultimately connected
Officer Darren Versiga’s Unending Quest for Justice
Darren Versiga
Samuel Little