A Florida man has been arrested for the 1997 murder of Tanya Jackson, a 26-year-old Army veteran, in a case that has haunted investigators for nearly three decades.
Police say 66-year-old Andrew Dykes was taken into custody in Tampa and appeared in a Florida courtroom on Thursday to face a murder charge in Jackson’s death. For years, Tanya was only known as “Peaches” because of a small peach tattoo, while her 2-year-old daughter Tatiana, also killed, was called “Baby Doe” until her remains were found 14 years later.
Both mother and child were finally identified in April 2025 using advanced genetic testing, giving long-awaited answers to their family and detectives. Relatives describe Tanya as a quiet, warm young woman who served her country and dearly loved her daughter, and say her loss has remained a deep wound.
Authorities had offered a $25,000 reward while searching for answers, and the case was once looked at in connection with the Gilgo Beach investigation, though no charges came from that angle. With Dykes’s arrest, many now hope Tanya and Tatiana will finally receive justice.
