Suspect in 1997 murder of ‘Peaches’ found dead at Gilgo Beach pleads not guilty.
An Army veteran has been arraigned on charges of murdering Tanya Denise Jackson, a young mother often referred to by investigators and the public as “Peaches.” Andrew Dykes, 66, pleaded not guilty at a hearing on December 18, 2025, following his arrest earlier this month in Florida. Dykes is accused of killing Jackson in 1997, when she was only 26 years old.
Jackson’s dismembered remains were initially discovered on Gilgo Beach in the same year, but further body parts were uncovered in 2011. It wasn’t until 2024 that law enforcement could definitively identify Jackson, who had previously remained a nameless victim due to a tattoo of a peach on her body. This long-standing case drew significant public interest as it was linked to a series of unsolved murders known as the Gilgo Beach killings, which have been the subject of ongoing investigations.
Law enforcement authorities were able to zero in on Dykes through DNA evidence. Prosecutors revealed that Dykes had discarded a plastic cup, from which they extracted DNA that matched genetic material retrieved from Jackson’s remains. Officials also noted that Dykes and Jackson had a past romantic relationship; the two met while serving in the Army together in Texas. Jackson gave birth to Dykes’ daughter, but their relationship was complicated by the fact that Dykes was already married.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly stated that Jackson’s death was not a result of a serial killer’s actions but rather a horrific crime committed by a person she trusted. This assertion highlights the complexity of the Gilgo Beach murders, a grim series of cases where several dismembered bodies of young women have been recovered along the Nassau County coast.
As authorities continue to investigate, they have indicated that Gilgo Beach may have served as a dumping site for multiple murderers over the years. Prosecutors claim that Dykes’ background in anatomy and physiology, acquired during his military service, enabled him to dismember Jackson’s body with alarming precision.
In a tragic turn of events, Jackson’s 2-year-old daughter, Tatiana Marie Dykes, who was also found deceased at Gilgo Beach, remains the subject of an ongoing investigation, with prosecutors stating they currently lack sufficient evidence to charge Dykes in connection with her death. This case serves as a grim reminder of unresolved violence against women and the complexities surrounding both individual and serial crimes within societies.
