The man suspected of murdering a mother and her young daughter, whose bodies were discovered close to the infamous Gilgo Beach, faced a court hearing on Thursday.
Authorities arrested 66-year-old Andrew Dykes on Wednesday in the Tampa area of Florida, as reported by ABC 7. Dykes was wanted in Nassau County, New York, in connection with the deaths of Tanya Jackson and her child, Tatiana Dykes. The arrest warrant tied him to this long-standing cold case.
In April 2025, Detective Sergeant Stephen E. Fitzpatrick from the Nassau County Police announced the identification of the bodies found along the Long Island shoreline. The victims were confirmed as Tanya Jackson, aged 26, and her daughter, according to prior reports by CrimeOnline.
Jackson, who had served in the U.S. Army, was known for years as Jane Doe #3 or Peaches, a nickname derived from a fruit tattoo she had, as noted by The New York Times.
Reports indicate that Jackson’s body was dismembered. Her torso was initially found in a container in a wooded area of Hempstead Lake State Park in June 1997. Additional remains were later discovered near Gilgo Beach in 2011.
In 2011, the body of the toddler was located wrapped in a blanket on Ocean Parkway in Babylon, close to where her mother’s remains were found. In 2015, DNA analysis confirmed that the child was indeed Jackson’s daughter.
Genetic genealogy positively identified Dykes and Jackson in 2024.
“The pair were found during an extraordinary months-long search effort by police across Long Island that uncovered the remains of ten people. The massive search began in 2010 as police looked for Shannan Gilbert, who had gone missing earlier that year.
In December 2010, four other sets of human remains were found on Gilgo Beach in Suffolk County. These four—Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes—were dubbed “The Gilgo Four.”
Orthram, the Texas-based forensic genetic genealogy company that helped identify Jackson and her daughter, said in a statement.
Dykes is facing murder charges, according to ABC7.
“She went out with a fight,” John Powell said.
“I promise you,” Randy Powell stated in agreement with John Powell.
While no suspect has been named in the death of Charity and the two children, SCSO CID is performing a thorough investigation.
“Search warrants have been written and executed, with more search warrants anticipated during the investigation,” SCSO wrote. “Interviews have taken place with more anticipated.”
SCSO is still in the information-gathering stage and encourages anyone with information to contact FSSO at 479-783-1051.
[Feature Photo: Nassau County police]
