Florida Man Charged in Brutal 1997 Murder After Daughter’s Body Later Found Near Gilgo Beach

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA — Nearly three decades after the 1997 murder of Tanya Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran whose dismembered remains were found in Lakeview, New York, authorities have arrested a Florida man believed to be connected not only to her death but also to the broader Gilgo Beach homicide investigation.

Officials confirmed that 66-year-old Andrew Dykes was taken into custody Wednesday near Tampa on a warrant issued out of Nassau County, New York. Jackson, then 26, was brutally killed and dismembered on Long Island — a case that baffled investigators for years and remained one of New York’s most haunting cold cases.

Victim Identified After Nearly Two Decades

For years, Jackson was known publicly only as “Peaches”, a name investigators used because of the peach-shaped tattoo found on her torso. Her identity, and that of her missing toddler, remained unknown until police were eventually able to use DNA and forensic advancements to identify them.

Tragically, the child — 2-year-old Tatiana Dykes — was not found until 2011, when her skeletal remains surfaced near Gilgo Beach, close to the site where multiple women allegedly murdered by accused serial killer Rex Heuermann were discovered.

“Tatiana’s discovery near the Gilgo dump site reignited long-standing questions about whether the murders were connected,” investigators previously noted.

Heuermann, a Long Island architect, has pleaded not guilty to seven murders tied to the infamous case.

Suspect Believed to Be Toddler’s Father

According to reporting from ABC News, Dykes is believed to be the biological father of Tatiana, a detail that sharply refocused attention on him as a potential suspect in both deaths.

Investigators had long suspected a familial link between the unidentified child and the person responsible for Jackson’s murder. The arrest, however, marks the first major break tying a specific individual to the 1997 killing.

Authorities say Dykes is expected back in a Florida courtroom next week as New York seeks his extradition to face charges. The full details of the warrant and potential charges have not yet been publicly released.

Gilgo Beach Connection Widens

While investigators have not explicitly stated that Jackson’s murder is tied to the Gilgo Beach serial killings, the placement of Tatiana’s remains near the Heuermann crime scenes raised suspicions early in the investigation.

“This case has always sat on the outer edges of the Gilgo timeline,” one law enforcement source told ABC News. “It’s impossible to ignore the proximity and the shared characteristics.”

Officials emphasized that Dykes’ arrest does not confirm a direct link to Heuermann, but they acknowledge the cases overlap in significant and disturbing ways.

This arrest marks a major turning point in a 27-year mystery — and raises new questions about how many victims might be connected to the broader Long Island serial killer investigation. Stay updated on this developing case at WaldronNews.com.