NEW YORK (WABC) — A suspected killer, wanted for a cold case on Long Island that dates back nearly 30 years ago, is behind bars after a birth certificate led to a break in the case.
“So, it looks like they met in the Army, both were in the Army,” said former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce.
Andrew Dykes, 66, was living in Florida. He has been charged in the cold case murder of Tanya Denise Jackson and 2-year-old Tatiana, who were also referred to as “Peaches” and “Baby Doe.”
“It’s his child, and he was on the birth certificate. That’s how they found his name,” Boyce said. “He was on the birth certificate. The child was named after him, took his name, Dykes.”
Dykes was arrested on a fugitive warrant for second-degree murder outside Tampa on Thursday afternoon. He was tracked down by investigators using familial DNA.
“Yesterday, they got an indictment in Nassau County,” Boyce said. “Three hours later, he was in handcuffs. So, they had the team stage there ready to go, and they moved in and made the arrest.”
Back in April, the cold case murder of “Peaches” and “Baby Doe” was picking up speed. Nassau County identified the remains after 27 years.
The disturbing mystery started in June of 1997 after the gruesome discovery of a female torso in Hempstead Lake State Park.
In April 2011, 14 years later, more female remains were found – those of “Baby Doe,” which were discovered along Ocean Parkway. It was initially believed to be part of the Gilgo Beach serial killer case – until now.
“Very complex, tough case to look at geographically,” Boyce said. “They’re all together, but they didn’t come there together.”
U.S. Army Public Affairs confirmed that Dykes served in the regular Army as a medical sergeant for 21 years, from October 1980 to February 2001, and as an enlisted servicemember at the time of his girlfriend and daughter’s murder, four years earlier.
“We look at Tanya’s life and we say it a life of service,” Boyce said. “She was in the military. She was working in in Brooklyn, working hard, supporting your child and this happened.”
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.