Cold case breakthrough: After nearly twenty years, ‘Peaches’ and child Gilgo Beach victims identified

In a significant development in the long-standing Gilgo Beach investigation, authorities have identified two previously unnamed victims: a woman known as “Peaches” and her young daughter. On April 23, 2025, Nassau County Police announced that “Peaches” was Tanya Denise Jackson, a 26-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Mobile, Alabama, and her daughter was 2-year-old Tatiana Marie Dykes. ​

A DNA match

Jackson’s dismembered torso was discovered on June 28, 1997, in a Rubbermaid container at Hempstead Lake State Park in Lakeview, New York. The distinctive tattoo of a heart-shaped peach with a bite taken out of it on her left breast led investigators to nickname her “Peaches.” 

In April 2011, during a broader search related to the Gilgo Beach case, investigators found skeletal remains of a toddler near Jones Beach State Park. DNA testing later confirmed that the child was Jackson’s daughter. Despite these findings, both victims remained unidentified for years. 

The recent breakthrough came through advanced DNA analysis and genealogical research. In 2022, Jackson’s relative, Elijah “Lige” Howell/Howard of Mobile, Alabama, provided investigators with a DNA sample, which eventually led to the identification of Jackson and her daughter.

Jackson was an army veteran

Nassau PD have identified “Peaches” whose torso was found in Hempstead Lake Park in 1997 and her 2 year old daughter who was found at Gilgo Beach in 2011. At this point, they are not ruling out a connection to the other Gilgo beach murders #nbc4ny pic.twitter.com/WWE3MYUH0h

— Pei-Sze Cheng (@PeiSzeCheng4NY) April 23, 2025

Tanya Jackson served in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 1995 and was living in Brooklyn at the time of her death. She was estranged from her family, and no one reported Jackson or her daughter missing. Tatiana was born on March 17, 1995, in Texas. At the time of their deaths, Jackson may have been working as a medical assistant. ​

The Gilgo Beach investigation began in 2010 after police searching for missing sex worker Shannan Gilbert found multiple sets of human remains along Long Island’s Ocean Parkway. Over time, more victims were discovered, many of whom were involved in sex work. 

While some victims have been linked to suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann, authorities have not connected Jackson and her daughter to him. Their deaths are being treated as separate investigations, despite the proximity to other victims. 

According to the AP, Homicide Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said, “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.”

Fitzpatrick added, “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.”

The investigation continues

Authorities continue to seek information regarding the deaths of Jackson and her daughter. Authorities have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Investigators hope that renewed public interest and advancements in forensic technology will provide further leads in this case.

The identification of “Peaches” and her daughter marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to resolve the mysteries surrounding the Gilgo Beach case and bring closure to the victims’ families.​