A Long Island detective discouraged online speculation after authorities publicly identified two of the previously unnamed victims that may have a connection to the long-running Gilgo Beach homicide investigation.
A female victim, known as Jane Doe No. 3 and nicknamed "Peaches" due to a tattoo found on her torso, was identified as 26-year-old Tanya Denise Jackson at a press conference on Wednesday. Her remains were found inside a container in Hempstead Lake State Park in Lakeview.
Her daughter, whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach in 2011, was identified as Tatiana Marie Dykes. She was two years old at the time of her death and was commonly referred to as Baby Doe.
A suspect has not been identified in their deaths yet.
"Although Tanya and Tatiana have commonly been linked to the Gilgo Beach serial killings because of the timing and locations of their recovered remains, we are not discounting the possibility that their cases are unrelated from that investigation," Nassau County Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said. "Speculation and theories by people on the internet should not be brought into this."
Nassau County police held the press conference as part of a broader effort to reinvigorate leads in the investigation.
Why It Matters
The Gilgo Beach case first drew national attention in 2010 when the search for a missing woman led to the discovery of multiple sets of human remains along Ocean Parkway on Long Island's South Shore.
Despite years of investigation, progress had been slow until a renewed push led to the 2023 arrest of Rex Heuermann, a Manhattan architect who has since been charged with multiple murders in connection with the case.
What To Know
Jackson's torso was found in 1997 inside a Rubbermaid container, accompanied by a red towel and a floral pillowcase. Her distinctive tattoo, a peach in the shape of a heart with a bite taken out and two drops below, became a hallmark in efforts to identify her. Additional body parts were found in 2011 near Jones Beach, and DNA later confirmed the toddler discovered nearby was her daughter.
In 2022, the FBI traced a genetic connection to a deceased man in Alabama, prompting a renewed attempt to locate family ties. That work ultimately helped investigators confirm the identities of both victims, although the details of the connection have not been disclosed publicly.
The remains of over 10 individuals were discovered in the Gilgo Beach area between 2010 and 2011. Among them are the so-called "Gilgo Four," Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found within days of each other during a search for Shannan Gilbert, another missing woman. Gilbert's own remains were found in 2011 in a nearby marsh, though officials have not confirmed whether her death is connected to the others.
Heuermann has been charged in the deaths of Barthelemy, Waterman, Costello and Brainard-Barnes, as well as Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Sandra Costilla. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and remains in custody.
What People Are Saying
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, at Wednesday's press conference: "We will never give up, not on an unsolved homicide, not on Tanya and Tatiana. We will follow every lead, we will pull at every thread, until we can get justice for this mother and this child."
Fitzpatrick, at the press conference: "We know there's more work to be done and we're determined to find the reasons and circumstances that led to their untimely deaths."
What Happens Next
Heuermann's case returns to court on Wednesday. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will continue pretrial discussions, with no firm trial date set yet.
Authorities have reiterated their call for public tips as the broader investigation into the Gilgo Beach killings continues. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the deaths of Jackson and Dykes.
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