𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬 “𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬” 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 & 𝟐-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐃𝐲𝐤𝐞𝐬

𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬 “𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬” 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧 & 𝟐-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐃𝐲𝐤𝐞𝐬

Long Island, NY — More than two decades after a woman’s torso was found in Hempstead Lake State Park, New York authorities have finally given a name to the victim known only as “Peaches.” The woman, now identified as Tanya Denise Jackson, was a military veteran and single mother originally from Alabama, who was living in Brooklyn at the time of her tragic death.

Her two-year-old daughter, whose remains were discovered years later near Gilgo Beach, has now also been identified as Tatiana Marie Dykes, Nassau County police confirmed during a press conference on Wednesday, April 17, 2025.

The long-unsolved case of “Peaches” has haunted investigators and the public alike since 1997, when a dismembered torso bearing a distinctive peach tattoo was found stuffed in a container in Hempstead Lake State Park. For years, the woman’s identity remained a mystery, her story silenced—until now.

A Breakthrough Decades in the Making

The identification of Tanya Jackson and her daughter marks a pivotal moment in the broader Gilgo Beach serial killings investigation, one of the most disturbing and complex criminal cases in recent New York history. Starting in 2010, the remains of at least 10 victims, primarily female sex workers, were uncovered along a desolate stretch of Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach on Long Island. The discovery sent shockwaves through the nation and launched one of the largest and longest-running homicide investigations in state history.

In April 2011, the skeletal remains of a toddler were found in close proximity to the adult victims along the highway. Authorities later confirmed that the child was genetically linked to “Peaches,” though neither had been identified—until now.

Who Was Tanya Jackson?

Born in October 1970, Tanya Jackson was more than just another statistic in a tragic case. She was a U.S. military veteran, a woman who served her country and later returned to civilian life to raise her young daughter. Friends and family described her as loving, resilient, and devoted to Tatiana.

Though the exact circumstances of her death remain unknown, Jackson’s last known location was Brooklyn, New York, where she had been living as a single mother trying to build a life for her child. Her military background, along with her identity, remained hidden for over 25 years due to the lack of identifying information and the state in which her remains were found.

An Ongoing Call for Information

During the Wednesday press conference, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly stressed that while identifying Tanya and Tatiana is a monumental step forward, the journey toward justice is far from over

A Mother and Child Remembered

For years, Tanya Jackson and her daughter Tatiana were nameless, their lives forgotten by many except those who tirelessly worked to solve their case. Today, they are more than victims—they are people with names, histories, and loved ones. Their story, once buried in anonymity, is now being told, and their memories