Authorities in Nassau County have confirmed the long-awaited identities of two victims in the infamous Gilgo Beach murder investigation, shedding light on a decades-old mystery that has haunted New York’s Long Island for more than 25 years. The woman known for years only as “Peaches” has been identified as Tanya Denise Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran originally from Alabama. Her daughter, whose remains were found years later, is identified as Tatiana Marie Dykes.
The announcement comes from Nassau County Police and District Attorney Anne Donnelly, who say DNA analysis and investigative breakthroughs have finally provided answers in one of New York’s most chilling and long-running cold cases. Jackson’s dismembered torso was discovered in June 1997 inside a Rubbermaid container discarded in Hempstead Lake State Park in Lakeview, New York. The only identifying feature at the time was a distinctive peach tattoo, which led authorities to nickname her “Peaches.” In 2011, partial skeletal remains of a young child, now confirmed to be Jackson’s daughter Tatiana, were discovered near Ocean Parkway—close to the area where several other bodies tied to the Gilgo Beach serial killer case have been found.
While the murders bear a striking resemblance to the Gilgo Beach killings, investigators have clarified that the deaths of Jackson and her daughter have not been definitively linked to Rex Heuermann, the suspected serial killer currently facing charges in connection with the murders of seven women. Heuermann, a Manhattan architect, was arrested in July 2023 after authorities used cell phone records, DNA evidence, and other forensic leads to tie him to at least three of the so-called “Gilgo Four,” whose bodies were found wrapped in burlap along a remote stretch of Ocean Parkway in 2010.
Despite the lack of direct connection, police say the manner of disposal, dismemberment, and geographic proximity of Jackson and her daughter’s remains are consistent with the pattern seen in the Gilgo Beach cases. Authorities are now investigating whether their deaths were the work of Heuermann or possibly another unknown killer who used Long Island as a dumping ground.
Jackson, 30 years old at the time of her death, had served in the U.S. Army and was believed to have fallen into a vulnerable state after returning to civilian life. According to law enforcement officials, she had no recent contact with family members at the time of her disappearance, which contributed to the difficulty in identifying her remains. Tatiana Marie Dykes, her daughter, was estimated to be around 2 to 3 years old at the time of her death.
District Attorney Donnelly called the identification a major development in the ongoing effort to bring justice to the victims. “Every victim deserves to be known by name and remembered,” she said. “Today, we restore their identities, and we renew our commitment to finding those responsible.”
Forensic advancements and increased national attention on the Gilgo Beach murders have prompted a renewed push to solve not only the confirmed cases tied to Heuermann, but also other unsolved deaths along the same stretch of coastline. Authorities have long suspected that multiple killers may be involved, operating independently over the years in the same region.
The identification of Jackson and Dykes brings new urgency to a case that has remained a symbol of both tragedy and investigative frustration for decades. Police are urging anyone with information about the victims, their last known whereabouts, or their possible killer to come forward.
As the investigation continues, the Long Island community and victim advocacy groups are praising the announcement as a long-overdue step in honoring two lives that were lost and forgotten—until now.
