The case that haunted Long Island for nearly three decades just detonated in Florida — and the alleged killer is the man who fathered the 2-year-old girl whose tiny remains were found scattered miles from her murdered mother.
THE TIMELINE THAT SHATTERED A COLD CASE
June 28, 1997 — A woman’s dismembered torso is found stuffed in a container at Hempstead Lake State Park. She becomes known only as “Peaches,” identified only by a tattoo.
2011 — A child’s remains are found near Gilgo Beach — labeled “Baby Doe.”
2023 — Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is arrested, but police say “Peaches” and “Baby Doe” appear unrelated.
April 2024 — After 27 years, authorities identify Peaches as 26-year-old U.S. Army veteran Tanya Jackson and her daughter as 2-year-old Tatiana Marie Dykes. A $25,000 reward is announced.
December 4, 2025 — Investigators track DNA and paternity records to Andrew Dykes, 66, a Florida man living near Tampa.
December 5, 2025 — Dykes is arrested on a Nassau County murder warrant for the killings of Jackson and her toddler daughter. He appears in Hillsborough County Court the next day.
THE EVIDENCE THAT BROUGHT DYKES DOWN
Authorities haven’t released every detail — but what they have said is devastating:
- DNA matched Dykes as the biological father of Tatiana.
- That same DNA led to familial linkage in Tanya Jackson’s case, placing Dykes firmly in investigators’ crosshairs.
- Historical records place Dykes in New York during the period Tanya vanished in 1997.
- A Nassau County grand jury indicted him on two counts of murder.
He’s now being held on a fugitive warrant, awaiting extradition to New York.
RUMOR VS. FACT
Rumors (NOT confirmed):
- That Dykes may have known or crossed paths with other Gilgo Beach victims.
- That the child’s remains were intentionally scattered.
- That Dykes was on police radar in the early 2000s.
Facts (CONFIRMED):
- He is NOT tied to the Gilgo Beach serial killings.
- Prosecutors say this case stands entirely separate from Rex Heuermann.
- Dykes has not yet entered a plea and returns to court next week.
- Tanya Jackson was last known to be living in Brooklyn and working as a medical assistant.
THE HUMAN IMPACT: 27 YEARS OF QUESTIONS
Tanya Jackson’s family waited nearly three decades for justice that seemed impossible.
Tatiana never lived long enough to have memories — and even her name was taken from her for 14 years.
A retired detective said:
“This case haunted every investigator who ever touched it. Identifying the mother and child was emotional. Arresting a suspect? That’s seismic.”
Families of the Gilgo Beach victims are watching closely — relieved this case is finally separate from the noise surrounding Heuermann.
YOUR TURN — WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Did investigators finally catch Tanya and Tatiana’s killer — or is there more hidden in the shadows of 1997?
Drop your thoughts, theories, and questions below. RealCrimeNetwork readers always help push the investigation forward.
Affiliate Disclosure:
Some links in my articles may bring me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of my work here!
REAL CRIME NETWORK 
Leave a comment