DNA Solves 28-Year-Old Gilgo-Linked Murder

December 17, 2025

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The death of a U.S. Army veteran and her toddler daughter remained one of Long Island’s most baffling cold cases for 28 years. Identified only by the nickname “Peaches” for decades, the victim, Tanya Denise Jackson, and her daughter Tatiana are now part of a stunning breakthrough. DNA technology, leveraged by Othram Labs and the FBI, has finally delivered justice, leading to the arrest of the biological father, Andrew Dykes, in Florida. This resolution clarifies the case as familial violence, separating it from the ongoing Gilgo Beach serial killings investigation.

Story Highlights

Andrew Dykes, 66, charged with second-degree murder of Tanya Denise Jackson, the “Peaches” victim from a 1997 cold case.
Jackson, a 26-year-old Gulf War Army veteran, and her 2-year-old daughter, Tatiana found dead near Gilgo Beach sites.
Dykes, the biological father, was arrested on December 3, 2025, in Florida after a DNA genealogy breakthrough by Othram Labs and the FBI.
The case separates from the Gilgo serial killings, highlighting familial violence over serial predator fears.

1997 Discovery in Nassau County

On June 28, 1997, hikers found a part of the body of an African-American woman inside a plastic tub covered in garbage bags near McDonald Pond at Hempstead Lake State Park in Lakeview, New York. Authorities nicknamed her “Peaches” for a bitten peach tattoo on her chest. The victim, later identified as Tanya Denise Jackson, measured about 5’5″ with possible ties to sex work, though unconfirmed. This Nassau County find predated the Gilgo Beach serial case by 14 years but shared disposal similarities in remote areas.

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Link to Gilgo Beach Remains and Long ID Wait

In 2011, during searches along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach tied to Shannan Gilbert’s disappearance, police discovered additional extremities matching Peaches, labeled Jane Doe 3. DNA in 2016 confirmed the link. Nearby, skeletal remains of a 2-year-old girl, later Tatiana Marie Dykes, emerged as Baby Doe. Advances in forensic genealogy identified Jackson in 2025 as a 26-year-old Army veteran from Mobile, Alabama, who lived in Brooklyn with connections to Georgia, Texas, and Missouri. She had estranged family ties and possibly worked in a doctor’s office.

Father-Turned-Suspect’s Arrest in Florida

Andrew Dykes, Tatiana’s biological father and Jackson’s partner, faced a Nassau County grand jury indictment for second-degree murder. On December 3, 2025, Florida authorities arrested the 66-year-old near Tampa on a fugitive warrant after he fled New York post-1997. Dykes lived quietly in Florida for decades. Nassau County Police and DA’s Office led the probe, leveraging Othram Labs and FBI DNA work. The case clarified as domestic violence, not serial killing.

In a Florida court appearance on December 4-5, Dykes waived questions and stated, “I’d like to go to New York and defend myself.” Prosecutors offered no comment. He remains in Hillsborough County Jail awaiting extradition, with no trial date set and a return court date next week.

Justice Through DNA and Separation from Serial Killers

This closure marks the “final two” Gilgo-linked identifications, reinforcing evidence of multiple killers along Ocean Parkway rather than one like Rex Heuermann, charged in unrelated 2023-2024 cases. Heuermann has no connection to Jackson or Dykes. For Jackson’s family, long estranged, the IDs bring overdue answers. Long Island communities in Nassau and Suffolk gain reassurance from tech-driven cold case resolutions.

Forensic experts praise Othram’s genealogy role in cracking the 28-year mystery. Crime analysts distinguish this familial murder from serial patterns in Gilgo Four victims like Melissa Barthelemy and others. Victims’ advocates note vulnerabilities for women like Jackson, a Black veteran mother, underscoring DNA’s power for marginalized cases. Politically, it spotlights needs for cold case funding in New York amid President Trump’s law-and-order priorities.

Watch the report: Florida man arrested in 1997 murder of Tanya ‘Peaches’ Jackson | News 12