Gilgo Beach murders: New York police ID woman and child whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach
Share this @internewscast.com

MINEOLA, Long Island — A woman and her child whose remains were discovered scattered along an oceanfront highway not far from Long Island’s Gilgo Beach were identified by police Wednesday, nearly three decades after their deaths.

Police in Nassau County said the mother, previously nicknamed “Peaches” by investigators after a tattoo on her body, had been identified as Tanya Denise Jackson, a U.S. army veteran who was 26 at the time of the killing.

Her 2-year-old daughter was identified as Tatiana Marie Dykes, investigators said. Both were living in Brooklyn, where Jackson may have worked as a medical assistant, according to police.

Police said they had no evidence at this time to suggest the unsolved killings were linked to Rex Heuermann, who has been charged in the deaths of seven women whose remains were discovered elsewhere on Long Island.

“Although Tanya and Tatiana have commonly been linked to the Gilgo Beach serial killings because the timing and locations of their recovered remains, we are not discounting the possibility that their cases are unrelated from that investigation,” Homicide Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said a briefing Wednesday.

“I’m not saying it is Rex Heuermann and I’m not saying it’s not,” he added. “We are proceeding as if it’s not, keeping our eyes wide open.”

Some of the Jackson’s remains were discovered on June 28, 1997, stuffed inside a plastic tub in a state park in West Hempstead on Long Island. More remains, and the skeletal remains of the female child, were found off Ocean Parkway in April 2011.

At the briefing Wednesday, law enforcement officials said they had identified the victims through DNA evidence found at the scene and advanced genetic and genealogy research.

“The reality is our work has just begun,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. “Knowing the identities of the mom and the little baby is just a first step to help us get to solving these murders.”

Officials said they had spoken with the child’s father, who was cooperating with the investigation and not considered a suspect at this time. They said Jackson had been estranged from much of her family. She served in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 1995, living on three bases in Texas, Georgia and Missouri, officials said.

It has long been unclear whether there is any connection between the mother and daughter and other women found slain elsewhere on Long Island. Since late 2010, police have been investigating the deaths of at least 10 people – mostly female sex workers – whose remains were discovered there.

Heuermann, a Manhattan architect, has been charged in the deaths of seven women. He has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all counts. His lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney’s office, which is prosecuting Heuermann, said in a statement he is not commenting on “any topics even tangentially involved to the investigation” while a pre-trial hearing plays out.

The two female victims are among three sets of human remains long associated with the Gilgo Beach case that have not been identified, at least publicly, by authorities.

In September, Long Island officials released more detailed renderings of a victim believed to be of Chinese descent whose remains were found off Ocean Parkway in 2011. The victim died in 2006 or earlier, was likely between ages 17 and 23 and about 5 feet 6 inches (170 centimeters) tall.

Officials for years had identified the victim as male, but said they now believe the person may have presented outwardly as female as they were dressed in women’s clothing.

Heuermann has not been charged in the deaths of three unidentified victims.

Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
It's a Feel-Good Friday Independence Day As Americans of All Backgrounds Celebrate Our Freedoms

Celebrate Freedom This Feel-Good Friday: Independence Day for All Americans

Happy Independence Day! It’s quite a wonderful coincidence that my Feel-Good Friday…
James McMurdock, Reform UK MP, at the House of Commons.

Reform MP James McMurdock Takes Leave from Party Due to ‘Business Conduct During Pandemic’ Concerns

REFORM MP James McMurdock has voluntarily removed the party whip from himself.…
Chicago NASCAR race today: NASCAR Xfinity Series race The Loop 110 to take off in Grant Park Saturday; Cup Series happening Sunday

Chicago NASCAR Race Update: Xfinity Series ‘The Loop 110’ Hits Grant Park Saturday; Cup Series Scheduled for Sunday

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago’s third NASCAR Street Race will get underway on…
Collage of illustrations of world leaders as children.

Putin Uses Cartoons Featuring Baby Trump to Influence Young Children Early

TWISTED Putin’s brainwashing programme has plunged to new depths with a dystopian…
Tom Brady parties with Dakota Johnson, Kate Hudson on yacht

Tom Brady Celebrates on a Yacht with Dakota Johnson and Kate Hudson

Summer’s here — and these stars are sizzling. Tom Brady was seen…
Hakeem Jeffries Reemerges, Doubles Down on Democrats' Big Lie About OBBB and the American Dream

Hakeem Jeffries Resurfaces, Reinforces Democrats’ False Narrative on OBBB and the American Dream

The Democrats tell dishonest statements so often, it’s hard sometimes to rank…
Road rage incident leaves girl, 5, shot in leg -- and the bullet in her sippy cup

Road Rage Incident Results in 5-Year-Old Girl Being Shot in the Leg, Bullet Found in Her Sippy Cup

A 5-year-old girl was struck in the leg by a bullet, which…
Legoland opens resort in Shanghai, the first in China

Legoland launches its inaugural resort in Shanghai, China

It is one of 11 parks across the world and was built…
Indianapolis street scene with police cars and crime scene tape after a mass shooting.

Two Dead and Multiple Injured in Indianapolis Mass Shooting Amid Large Teen Gathering

TWO people have died and several are injured after a mass shooting…
Is a hot dog a sandwich? The Hot Dog Council has a very strong opinion

The Great Debate: Is a Hot Dog Considered a Sandwich? Insights from the Hot Dog Council

(SavorNation) – America has two great pastimes: enjoying hot dogs and getting…
South Philly shooting today: At least 8 wounded in mass shooting inside 7 Elements Restaurant Bar and Lounge in Philadelphia, PA

Mass Shooting at 7 Elements in South Philly: 8 Injured

PHILADELPHIA — At least eight people were wounded in a mass shooting…
A look at some of the deadliest floods in the US in the last 25 years

Examining the Most Devastating U.S. Floods Over the Past 25 Years

Over the past several decades, floods have claimed the lives of an…