'Emotional': LI Funeral Director On Sending Slain Mom, Toddler Home

LONG ISLAND, NY — After the most horrific of endings, a mother and her toddler daughter who were brutally murdered, their remains left for years, have been brought home to their loving family and laid to rest with dignity.

And it was the kindness of a Long Island funeral director who got them there safely, with gentle care.

On Wednesday, after years of questions as the Gilgo Beach investigation unfolded, Nassau County police announced the identity of 1997 homicide victims known as Jane Doe No. 3, or "Peaches," and her toddler, known as "Baby Doe."

The woman was identified as Tanya Denise Jackson, who was 26 at the time of her slaying, and her young child was named Tatiana Marie Dykes, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said at a Wednesday news conference.

The pair have been considered to be possible Gilgo Beach victims, but officials said they are not discounting the possibility that the slayings may have been committed by someone else.

The torso of the woman, which featured a heart-shaped peach with a bite mark tattooed above her left breast, was found in a green Rubbermaid bin in 1997 in Hempstead Lake State Park, Patch previously reported. The woman came to be known as "Peaches" for that unique tattoo. In 2011, her arms and legs were found on Ocean Parkway.

On April 4, 2011, the skeletal remains of the female toddler were discovered along Ocean Parkway; the two-year-old daughter was reportedly found wrapped in a blanket and wearing a gold bracelet and hoop earrings similar to the jewelry found with her mother.

And now, decades after they died, their bodies were brought home to Alabama, where Tanya Jackson was born. Jackson, officials said, was an Army veteran. Last month, the Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport helped Jackson's family with her remains and those of her daughter. He ensured that they were sent home with grace to Alabama where they were buried together — with full military honors.

Speaking with Patch, Doug Mathie, owner of the funeral home, spoke about how the case had impacted him. "They touched my heart," he said. "It was a horrific way to lose your life — and not to be identified for all those years. . . ."

Mathie said he felt compelled to help; he wanted to bring Jackson and her little girl back to her family, "for closure."

His heart was forever touched by their tragic story, he said.

"This morning, when I heard they were going to have a press conference, I sat in my chair, having my coffee, with tears going down my cheeks," he said. "I've been a funeral director for 45 years, and this case really moved me."

As a father, their plight touched an emotional chord, Mathie said. "I felt very honored and privileged to be called to take care of this, to bring closure, and to be sure their remains are back with their next of kin."

Mathie said he'd been in touch with Jackson's family as the arrangements were made. "I'm very, very grateful for all the teamwork that made this happen," he said. "Now, this chapter is closed. This morning, I was pretty emotional. I've handled a lot of different things, over 45 years — but there was something very, very personal about this mother and daughter."

Bringing peace to those who'd loved Jackson, he said, encapsulated his life's mission. "It's all part of the ministry of being a funeral director," he said. "Making it all happen — for the family."

With reporting by Peggy Spellman Hoey and Jerry Barmash.