New York authorities identified a woman previously known only as “Peaches” and her toddler, whose deaths are connected to the Gilgo Beach serial killings case on Long Island. The mother was identified as Tanya Denise Jackson, with a peach tattoo, and the baby as Tatiana Marie Dykes. Jackson’s torso was found in Hempstead Lake State Park in 1997, and her toddler’s remains were located in 2011 near Ocean Parkway in Babylon. The case, ongoing for nearly 15 years, involves 10 human remains, mostly women, a man, and a child, found along Ocean Parkway.
Rex Heuermann, a Manhattan architect, has been charged in connection with the murders of seven women in the area, whose remains were dismembered, stuffed into bags, and scattered in Gilgo Beach. Some victims were sex workers. The possibility that these cases are unrelated to the investigations is not discounted by the Nassau County Police Department. Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran originally from Alabama, and Dykes were linked as mother and daughter through preliminary DNA analysis in 2015 when their identities were still unknown.
The FBI contributed to the case by providing new resources and expertise from their Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) team. Scientists at the forensic genetic genealogy lab Othram in Texas used DNA evidence submitted in 2020 to create a comprehensive genetic profile of the previously unidentified woman, leading to the discovery of her identity. The circumstances of Jackson and Dykes’ deaths are considered horrific and heartbreaking, but finding closure and justice for them is a priority in the investigation.
Prosecutors have alleged that Heuermann’s motive was to identify and hunt women for the purpose of committing murder, with his job patrolling sandy stretches of Jones Beach providing him with intimate knowledge of the area. Heuermann, a South Shore native, bought the Massapequa Park house he grew up in, near both Jones Beach and Gilgo Beach. Authorities call the area where six of the seven victims’ remains were recovered the central disposal site.
The Nassau County District Attorney expressed the importance of knowing the identities of Jackson and Dykes to solicit information from the public that could help solve the murders. Jackson was living in Brooklyn and possibly working in a medical office in the 1990s, having served in the Army between 1993 and 1995. The FBI Deputy Assistant Director praised the collaboration with the IGG team and their ability to combine crime scene DNA with genetic genealogy research to generate leads for identifying unknown DNA, as was done in this case. The involvement of Othram in analyzing the DNA evidence proved crucial in uncovering the identities of Jackson and her daughter.
The Gilgo Beach serial killings investigation remains ongoing, with prosecutors focusing on Heuermann’s alleged connection to the murders of the women in the area. The identification of Jackson and Dykes represents a significant step forward in the case, with authorities continuing to seek answers and resolution for the victims. The complex nature of the investigation, involving multiple victims over a long period, highlights the need for collaboration between law enforcement agencies and forensic specialists to bring closure to the families of those who lost their lives in these tragic circumstances.
