Denver Hairstylist Left Her Apartment and Vanished. Over a Month Later, Mom Fears the Worst: 'I Am Terrified' (Exclusive)
Jax Gratton, a 34-year-old hairstylist, was last seen leaving her apartment in Denver on Tuesday, April 15
More than a month later, her mom tells PEOPLE she's "terrified" that something awful has happened to her daughter
"At this time, nothing has been recovered that indicates she has been harmed, however, her disappearance is being taken seriously," the Denver Police Department tells PEOPLEA mom's fear has reached new heights now that her daughter, a Denver hairstylist, has been missing for more than a month.
'I am terrified for my daughter,' Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, 60, tells PEOPLE. 'I just need to keep her face and her beautiful self out there until we find her.'
Gratton-Camis has been actively searching for Jax Gratton, 34, since she was last seen leaving her Denver apartment on Tuesday, April 15.
'My fear is that somebody killed her,' says Gratton-Camis, who alleges that her daughter had been in abusive relationships in the past. 'That is my fear.'
A Denver Police Department (DPD) spokesperson tells PEOPLE that officials are 'actively looking into Jax Gratton's whereabouts" and that "at this time, nothing has been recovered that indicates she has been harmed."
'This is a priority for our Missing and Exploited Persons Unit and they are working with Jax's family on this case,' the spokesperson continues in a statement. 'Her disappearance is being taken seriously by DPD.'
Jax was last seen near the 4200 block of E. Iliff Avenue, police say.
Friends and family told ABC affiliate KMGH-TV that Jax left her apartment at approximately 10 p.m. local time and told her roommate that she'd be out for about three hours — but she never came back.
Gratton-Camis, who lives out of state, last talked to her eldest daughter on Friday, April 11, when Jax called to get the address of her 19-year-old sister Monroe, who is in college, so she could send her some hair products.
'She was absolutely beautiful, full makeup… and happy,' says the mom. 'She said she'd been super busy, but she would talk to me on Easter.'
Nine days later, the promised call never came and Gratton-Camis grew concerned. On Easter morning, she called Jax and left a message. Later that day, she FaceTimed her and texted her about the holiday.
'I didn't sleep that night,' says Gratton-Camis, who woke up early the next morning and learned Pope Francis had died. When she didn't hear from Jax, who greatly admired the pope, she knew something was amiss — as did one of Jax's friends, who called Gratton-Camis.
The frantic mom started calling hospitals and jails in Colorado. Days later, she still didn't know what had happened to her daughter.
At first Gratton-Camis believed that Jax's roommate, who had last seen her as she was exiting their apartment, had filed a missing persons report. While the roommate did contact police, a report wasn't filed, so Gratton-Camis rushed to get one submitted — and by Wednesday, April 24, over a week after she was last seen, Jax was officially reported as missing.
Even as friends and customers raised the alert in the following weeks — posting on social media and putting up flyers throughout the city — there has been little movement in the case and Jax's mom says that investigators have eliminated the 'short suspect list' she gave them.
Gratton-Camis says that her daughter hasn't touched the money in her bank account — 'Jax works very, very hard and she would not have left with money behind,' she says — and that she also doesn't believe her daughter would have left her cat behind.
Additionally, Gratton-Camis says it's out of character for Jax to stop communicating with her or Monroe. Despite Jax's struggles – she had been to rehab three times for drugs and alcohol, the last of which kicked her out because she's transgender, her mom alleges – the hairstylist was doing well before she disappeared.
'She operated a successful business,' says Gratton-Camis. 'She has friends that she has been friends with since middle school.'
The woman donated her time as a stylist to unhoused people in the area and loved her family. Gratton-Camis adds Jax was an integral part of her support system when she was diagnosed with colon and breast cancer a few years ago.
'Jax would call me and FaceTime me… to put me in a good mood, do a dance,' her mom remembers. 'I could barely speak, but I could hit the phone and watch her do silly things to make me feel better.'
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In a statement she wrote, Gratton-Camis describes Jax as a 'daughter of love' and a 'friend like no other.'
'An advocate with fire, driven by purpose, a soul full of laughter, and hands never idle,' Cherilynne continues. 'She lives with honesty, shined with truth, and is cherished beyond words.'
Authorities urge anyone with information about Jax to call 720-913-7867. Her mom says she is at least 5 feet, 11 inches tall and could have a range of hair colors because she often dyed it. Jax's community has also created a website to assist in the search.
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