MINEOLA, N.Y.— Authorities have identified remains found scattered near Long Island’s Gilgo Beach, known for a series of notorious murders. The remains belong to Tanya Denise Jackson, a 26-year-old from Mobile, Alabama, and her 2-year-old daughter, Tatiana Marie Dykes. The pair lived in Brooklyn at the time of their death, according to Nassau County police.
During a press briefing, police mentioned Jackson was previously nicknamed “Peaches” due to a tattoo investigators found on her body. Her identity remained unknown for nearly 28 years. Police have long attempted to connect whether Jackson and her daughter fell victim to the same perpetrators responsible for other bodies found along Jones Beach Island.
On Wednesday, police clarified they have no evidence linking Jackson and her daughter’s deaths to Rex Heuermann, who faces charges in the deaths of seven women along the beach road and other parts of Long Island. Nassau Police Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick noted although Jackson and her daughter are often associated with the Gilgo Beach serial killings, “we are not discounting the possibility that their cases are unrelated.” He emphasized, “I’m not saying it is Rex Heuermann and I’m not saying it’s not. We are proceeding as if it’s not, keeping our eyes wide open.”
Jackson’s remains were initially discovered on June 28, 1997, enclosed in a plastic container at a state park in West Hempstead. Additional remains, including those of the child, surfaced in April 2011 near Ocean Parkway on Long Island. Law enforcement officials successfully identified Jackson and her daughter through advanced DNA and genealogy research.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly stated, “The reality is, our work has just begun.” Identifying Jackson and her daughter is merely the first step toward solving these murders. Fitzpatrick revealed police are in touch with the child’s father, who is collaborating with the investigation but isn’t considered a suspect.
Initial DNA evidence collected by local authorities was handed to the FBI, which offered tentative identification in 2022. Further DNA testing in 2023 permitted police to notify surviving family members last year. Jackson and her daughter were recently laid to rest with Jackson receiving “full military honors” for her service in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 1995, having lived on bases in Texas, Georgia, and Missouri.
Jackson reportedly drove a black 1991 Geo Storm and was estranged from her family, leading to a delayed missing person report. Fitzpatrick highlighted the department’s relentless pursuit of justice for Jackson and her daughter, pledging to uncover the circumstances of their tragic ends.
The police announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Public intrigue regarding “Peaches” increased in 2011, during investigations into potential serial killings, when authorities discovered her remains among ten sets found off Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach. Most victims in this case were female sex workers.
Rex Heuermann, an architect from Long Island, was charged in 2023 with three of these murders and later with four more, though he maintains his innocence, pleading not guilty. His lawyer hasn’t commented. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office refrains from commenting on any issues tangential to the ongoing investigation during a pre-trial hearing.
Authorities are still working to identify another set of remains. In September, officials released renderings of a victim, thought to be of Chinese descent, found off Ocean Parkway in 2011. The victim likely died in 2006 or earlier, was estimated to be 17-23 years old and 5 feet 6 inches tall. Initial identification labeled the victim male, but authorities now suggest the person might have presented as female, given they were dressed in female clothing.