‘A Person She Trusted’: Army Vet Charged with Murder of Mistress He Fathered Baby with More Than 20 Years After Remains Found and Serial Killer Ruled Out
A former Army sergeant who retired from service more than 20 years ago now stands accused of murdering another service member with whom he had an extramarital relationship and a baby.
Andrew Dykes, 66, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of 26-year-old Tanya Jackson.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Dykes served in the U.S. Army from October 1980 to February 2001.
He was already a married father of two when he met Jackson while they were stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
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At some point during their assignment, the two began an affair and had a child, Tatiana Marie Dykes, in March 1995.
That same year, Dykes transferred to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York. Jackson and Tatiana joined him there shortly after. Authorities say Dykes was the leaseholder of her apartment in Brooklyn.
In 1997, a dismembered torso with a peach tattoo was found in a wooded area at Hempstead Lake State Park by a local resident. For years, investigators could not identify the remains and only referred to them as Jane Doe No. 3, or “Peaches.”
Nearly 14 years later, in 2011, Jackson’s other body parts, as well as the body of 2-year-old Tatiana, were found on Gilgo Beach, a dumping ground in Long Island, New York.
The discovery was once believed to be connected to the Gilgo Beach killings, in which a local architect, Rex Heuermann, was charged with the deaths of three sex workers whose bodies were found in 2010.
However, after DNA testing helped authorities finally identify Tanya and Tatiana in 2023, law enforcement acquired several investigative leads that pointed to Dykes as a person of interest in the murder, including Tatiana’s birth certificate that listed him as the father.
Authorities also noted that during Dykes’ time in the Army, he served as a military instructor who specialized in anatomy and physiology.
Military records and reviews of Dykes’ service commended his expertise and proficiency in skeletal, muscular, and digestive systems.
In October 2024, authorities began conducting surveillance on Dykes near his home in Florida and recovered a plastic drinking cup and straw Dykes had drunk from at a local restaurant in Tampa, and then threw in the trash.
Dykes’ DNA extracted from the drink’s straw was tested and matched the DNA found on Jackson’s remains.
Authorities announced the identities of Tanya and Tatiana in April 2025.
They finally arrested Dykes for the murder of Tanya Jackson on Dec. 3 in Florida, and extradited him to New York. Prosecutors say there’s not enough evidence to charge him with killing Tatiana.
He appeared in court on Dec. 18, where he pleaded not guilty.
“For more than two decades, there has been endless speculation about Tanya Jackson and her daughter Tatiana’s deaths. Today, we finally have answers. Tanya Jackson was not murdered by a serial killer, but allegedly by the man she loved, and the father of her child, Andrew Dykes,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
She continued: “Now, a thirty-year-old mystery can finally be solved. Tanya did not meet her end at the hands of a serial killer, but she was a victim of horrifying violence by a person she trusted. A person who will now face the full force of my office.”
Dykes’ attorney, Joseph Lo Piccolo, described his client as a father who “led a life that many would respect in law enforcement, in the military,” according to The Associated Press.
After Dykes’ arraignment, he added that just because “someone may have had sexual relations with someone doesn’t mean they’re responsible for their death,” per The New York Times. “People have consensual sex all the time.”
Dykes’ next court appearance is on Jan. 16, 2026. If he’s convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.