Mother of Denver hairstylist missing for months says she will always be proud of her daughter

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5 hours ago

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — After nearly two months of searching, the family of missing Denver hairstylist Jax Gratton says her body was recovered by police in Lakewood on Friday night.
While they await the official autopsy results, Gratton's mother says she was always proud of her daughter.
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Cherilynne Gratton-Camis says that she spoke with a Lakewood police detective and hopes to hear from them again on Monday with some information about the autopsy. She says the news of Jax's body being found brought her peace after weeks of speculation.
'I don't know the circumstances of her death, but I have pride. I'm not ashamed of my daughter,' said Gratton-Camis.
While speaking with FOX31 over the phone, pride is the word Gratton-Camis used the most. Pride in both her daughter's ability to excel in her job as a hairdresser, as well as her outspoken nature.
'She educated not only in hair but she educated society,' said Gratton-Camis.
Educating people about what Jax spent many years learning herself, according to her mother.
'Just that it's OK to live your own dream and be who you are,' said Gratton-Camis.
She noted her pride in Jax's friendly spirit, saying that in her daughter's hairstyling client list were more than 900 people, most of whom were friends.
'To me, that was very impressive, that people had that loyalty for her,' said Gratton-Camis.
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She says in the weeks after Jax's disappearance, many fake tips came in about her whereabouts, which caused her stress. After her recovery, Gratton-Camis says a detective told her that Jax was found in the clothes she was wearing the night she disappeared.
'People had planted horrible, terrible things in my mind,' said Gratton-Camis. 'And that brought me peace that she wasn't terrified, she wasn't being held hostage, she wasn't doing degrading or demeaning things. Whatever happened, happened that night.'
She is thankful for the outpouring of community support over the last nearly two months—
'I could not believe that so many people turned out and from so many different communities,' she said.
Gratton-Camis said that even though her daughter is gone, she hopes Jax knows how proud she always was of her.
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'I think if you can raise your children and just be proud of them, you're a success,' said Gratton-Camis. 'And so I feel like I'm a success.'
On Monday, there will be two events in honor of Jax in Denver that Gratton-Camis encourages anyone in the public to attend. There will be a rally outside of the city county building at 11 a.m., as well as a rosary service at the Highlands United Methodist Church at 6:30 p.m. with eulogies, singers and drag performances, which Gratton-Camis said is exactly Jax's style.
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