Long Island, NY — Nearly three decades after the remains of a woman and her toddler daughter were discovered in separate locations on Long Island, New York authorities have finally identified them — offering a long-overdue breakthrough in one of the region’s most haunting cold cases.
Tanya Denise Jackson, 26, and her 2-year-old daughter, Tatiana Marie Dykes, were formally identified through advanced genetic genealogy testing, officials from Nassau County announced on Wednesday, April 23.
“The reality is our work has just begun,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly at a press conference. “Knowing the identities of the mom and the little baby is just the first step to help us get to solving these murders.”
A Mystery That Spanned Decades
The first chilling clue emerged on June 28, 1997, when some of Jackson’s remains were discovered stuffed inside a plastic container at Hempstead Lake State Park. A peach-shaped tattoo on her chest earned her the temporary name “Peaches” from investigators, a haunting moniker used in media coverage and law enforcement records for years.
Then, in April 2011, more of her remains — along with those of her daughter — were found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach, not far from where the bodies of multiple other victims had been uncovered in what would become known as the Gilgo Beach serial killings.
Since 2010, the remains of at least 10 individuals, most of them believed to be female sex workers, have been discovered in the same stretch of coastline, sparking national attention and years of investigative efforts.
Connection to Gilgo Killings? Not So Fast
In 2023, authorities arrested Rex Heuermann, a Long Island architect and father of two, in connection with several of the Gilgo Beach murders. He is currently facing murder charges in seven of the deaths.
But despite the proximity and timing of Jackson and Tatiana’s remains, authorities say there is no confirmed link between their deaths and Heuermann, or the serial killings as a whole.
“Although Tanya and Tatiana have commonly been linked to the Gilgo Beach serial killings, we are not discounting the possibility that their cases are unrelated,” said Homicide Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, urging the public not to fuel speculation.
“Speculation and theories by people and on the internet should not be brought into this.”
A Life Silenced, A Name Restored
Jackson served in the U.S. military from 1993 to 1995, stationed in Texas, Georgia, and Missouri, and was reportedly living in Brooklyn at the time of her death. She is believed to have worked in a doctor’s office, possibly as a medical assistant.
Shockingly, Jackson was never reported missing, a fact that investigators say underscores how many victims of violence fall through the cracks — especially women of color.
The mother and daughter were first linked through DNA in 2015, but their identities remained unknown until 2022, when the FBI made a tentative identification. That match wasn’t confirmed until early 2024, following a year of additional DNA testing, family outreach, and interviews.
“In 2023, we met with the FBI who revealed their findings,” said Fitzpatrick. “We immediately started traveling, collecting samples, interviewing family, and in early 2024, we made the positive ID.”
Their names were kept confidential for a year, as officials worked to notify relatives and ensure the victims were buried with dignity. Tanya and Tatiana were laid to rest in Alabama with full military honors, officials said.
The Search for Justice Continues
While the names of the victims are no longer a mystery, the person responsible for their deaths remains unknown. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
For Tanya and Tatiana, the long road to recognition is finally over. Now begins the fight for justice.