Florida arrest in murder of woman and toddler previously connected to Gilgo serial killings

Decades after a woman and her 2-year-old daughter were discovered on Long Island, previously linked to the Gilgo Beach serial murders, the suspect in their deaths appeared in a Florida court Thursday facing homicide charges.

Andrew Dykes, 66, was apprehended Wednesday near Tampa under a Nassau County, New York, warrant in relation to the 1997 killing of Tanya Jackson, according to law enforcement sources. The Nassau County district attorneys office declined to provide a statement.

Jackson, 26 at the time of her death, was found dismembered in Lakeview in June 1997. Her young daughter, Tatiana, was located 14 years later near Gilgo Beach. For many years, Jackson was referred to as "Peaches" due to a recognizable tattoo, and her daughter as "Baby Doe."

In April, New York authorities confirmed the identities of Jackson and her daughter and announced a $25,000 reward for information regarding the decades-old case. Tatianas remains were discovered in 2011 near the site where other womens remains were found along Long Islands southern shore, fueling suspicions that the deaths might be connected to the Gilgo Beach serial killer.

Rex Heuermann, a Long Island architect and father, was arrested in 2023 for several Gilgo Beach murders and charged with killing seven women. Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty, was never charged in connection with the deaths of Jackson or her daughter.

Author: Aiden Foster