Army Vet and Toddler Identified in Cold Case Murder Mystery with Ties to Gilgo Beach

In a chilling development tied to one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder cases, New York authorities have finally put names to two victims whose remains were discovered years apart and miles from each other—both linked to the shadowy Gilgo Beach killings. The victims: Tanya Jackson, a 26-year-old Army veteran, and her 2-year-old daughter, Tatiana Dykes.

The mother’s torso was first found stuffed in a container at Hempstead Lake State Park back in 1997. A peach tattoo led investigators to call her “Peaches” for decades. Her toddler’s remains surfaced 14 years later, near Gilgo Beach, during the 2011 police search for missing escort Shannan Gilbert—a search that unearthed a serial killer’s dumping ground.

Nassau County Police confirmed the mother-daughter connection through DNA testing in 2015, but it wasn’t until recently—thanks to groundbreaking genetic genealogy and FBI assistance—that Jackson and her little girl were officially identified.

“This is personal now,” said Nassau County Police Detective Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick. “We’ve got names, a past, a family. And we want answers.”

A MOTHER’S SERVICE, A FAMILY’S SILENCE

Jackson, originally from Alabama, was living in Brooklyn at the time of her murder. She had served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Fort Gordon, and Fort Leonard Wood between 1993 and 1995. Despite her service, she was never reported missing.

Investigators revealed she had been estranged from her family—a detail that may have delayed her identification. Her daughter, Tatiana, was never officially declared missing either.

“We have 27 years of catching up to do,” Fitzpatrick added grimly. “Someone out there knows what happened.”

The toddler’s remains were found just seven miles from additional pieces of her mother’s body—discovered in 2011 off Ocean Parkway. At the time, the gruesome finds were presumed to be the work of the Gilgo Beach serial killer.

But that connection remains uncertain.

“We’re not ruling it in. And we’re not ruling it out,” Fitzpatrick said. “We still don’t know who took their lives. But we won’t rest until we do.”

$25,000 REWARD ON THE TABLE

With the clock ticking and memories fading, Nassau County is now offering a $25,000 reward for any information that could crack the case wide open.

Authorities are especially urging those who may have served with Jackson during her military years—or who knew her during her time in Brooklyn—to come forward.

Meanwhile, Rex Heuermann, the man currently facing charges in seven other Gilgo Beach murders, has not been linked to Jackson’s killing. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney declined to speculate on the case, citing an ongoing pretrial hearing related to Heuermann.

“WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP”

At a press conference Wednesday, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly praised investigators for their persistence.

“Cases like this are incredibly hard to solve,” Donnelly said. “But we don’t forget victims. And we don’t quit—especially not on Tanya and Tatiana.”

For Americans watching this case unfold—especially those who support law enforcement and believe in justice for forgotten victims—this breakthrough is a reminder: Cold cases may fade from headlines, but they are never off the table.

Now, authorities want the public’s help to finish what they started.