Suspect in Gilgo Beach Victim Tanya Denise Jackson's Murder Apprehended

A Florida resident has been taken into custody in connection with the long-unsolved 1997 killings of Tanya Denise Jackson and her young daughter, Tatiana Marie Dykes, in Nassau County, New York. The arrests were made possible after genetic genealogy tests positively identified both victims earlier this year.

Andrew Dykes, 66, of Tampa, Florida, was apprehended on December 3 under a Nassau County warrant. Authorities have linked the case to the broader series of Gilgo Beach murders, although Dykess alleged crimes specifically involve Jackson and her daughter.

Dykes appeared before a Florida judge on December 4 to face murder charges. The investigation revealed that Jackson, a 26-year-old U.S. Army veteran at the time, had been referred to as "Peaches" due to a distinctive tattoo, while her daughter Tatiana, aged two, was known as "Baby Doe" until their identification in April 2025.

Tatianas remains were discovered in 2011 along Long Islands southern shore, which initially connected the case to the notorious Gilgo Beach killings. Decades later, authorities offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the resolution of this cold case.

Earlier, in 2023, Rex Heuermann, an architect and father of two, was charged with several of the Gilgo Beach murders but was never linked to Jackson and Tatianas deaths.

Author: Chloe Ramirez