Police officials on Wednesday announced the identities of a woman and her 2-year-old child whose bodies were found near the desolate stretch of Long Island seafront that was the scene of the Gilgo Beach serial killings.
The woman had long been known as Jane Doe No. 3 — or Peaches, after a fruit tattoo — and was thought to be the mother of a toddler whose body was also found along the South Shore’s beachfront. She was Tanya Denise Jackson and her daughter was Tatiana Marie Dykes, Detective Sergeant Stephen E. Fitzpatrick of the Nassau County Police Department said at a news conference.
Rex Heuermann, a Massapequa Park, N.Y., architectural consultant, has pleaded not guilty to killing seven women, including six whose remains were found off Ocean Parkway. But until Wednesday, three of the 10 Gilgo victims found in the area, and in nearby Southampton, had not been identified. The authorities did not say whether they believe Mr. Heuermann killed Ms. Jackson and the child.
“I’m not saying it is him, I’m not saying it’s not him,” Sergeant Fitzpatrick said. He added that although Ms. Jackson’s and Tatiana’s murders were being investigated with the Gilgo Beach slayings, they could be unrelated.
Although the Gilgo killings have primarily been investigated by Suffolk County officials, Wednesday’s announcement was made by the police in Nassau, where Ms. Jackson’s remains were first discovered. Pieces of her body were found in 1997 at Hempstead Lake State Park, several miles from the New York City border. Her other remains were found in 2011 near Gilgo Beach.
The body of Tatiana, who was found in a thicket of branches, wrapped in a blanket and wearing gold jewelry, was discovered in April 2011 on Ocean Parkway in Babylon, near the remains of Ms. Jackson. The child was about 2 at the time of her death, the police said. Her remains were linked to Ms. Jackson by DNA analysis.
Investigators have asked the public for help in identifying the remaining victim found in the area, an Asian man.
For several weeks, Mr. Heuermann has been attending court for hearings on the admissibility of the genetic evidence that prosecutors say connects him to the victims. Mr. Heuermann’s lawyer, Michael J. Brown, has contested the evidence, asking the judge to toss it out on the grounds that it is not reliable.
Police officials said Ms. Jackson was born in Alabama and served in the U.S. Army from 1993 through 1995, when her daughter was born. Ms. Jackson later moved to Brooklyn, where she may have worked as a medical assistant, Sergeant Fitzpatrick said.
At the time of her disappearance, Ms. Jackson had not been reported missing, the sergeant said, noting that her family had grown accustomed to not seeing her or hearing from her because of her military service.
She was estranged from many relatives, Sergeant Fitzpatrick said. But the identification of Ms. Jackson’s and Tatiana’s bodies had brought the family some peace, he said.
“We never gave up on searching for justice, for either Tanya or Tatiana,” he said.
On Wednesday, the Nassau County district attorney, Anne T. Donnelly, asked any members of the public who knew Ms. Jackson and Tatiana to contact the authorities.
“Our work has just begun,” Ms. Donnelly said. “Every little thing we can learn about her leading up to her death will help us solve this horrific crime.”
Nate Schweber contributed reporting.
Corey Kilgannon is a Times reporter who writes about crime and criminal justice in and around New York City, as well as breaking news and other feature stories.
Maia Coleman is a reporter for The Times covering the New York Police Department and criminal justice in the New York area.
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