Latest news with #CherilynneGrattonCamis
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Mom's heartbreak as hairstylist daughter who mysteriously vanished found dead two months later
A heartbroken mom has posted an emotional tribute after her daughter was found dead, two months after she mysteriously disappeared. Jax Gratton, 34, had been working as a hairstylist in Denver when she went missing on April 15. Her friends and family had appealed for her whereabouts in online appeals for weeks, with her mom fearing her daughter, who was transgender, may have been killed. On Friday, her mom Cherilynne Gratton-Camis confirmed the news that her body had been found. Police are now investigating the death as 'suspicious'. 'With a broken heart, I share the news that our beloved Jax Gratton has been found — and she is no longer with us,' she wrote on Facebook. 'There are no words strong enough for the grief we are feeling. The light she carried, the love she gave so freely, and the joy she brought into our lives have been taken from this world far too soon.' In the post about her daughter, Gratton-Camis also paid tribute to the support from the LGBT+ community. 'This has opened my eyes in ways I can't ignore. It's not just about Jax — it's about all of you in the LGBTQIA+ community who face the world every day with courage, just wanting to live, love, and exist safely and equally. That should never be a fight. And yet it is,' the mother added. Gratton had vanished after leaving her apartment and telling her flatmate she would be back in three hours. She never returned. On Saturday, Lakewood Police Department said they were 'investigating a suspicious death' after 'someone discovered a dead body in an alleyway' in west Denver, Colorado, early Friday evening. 'The body was in advanced stages of decomposition and could not be positively identified. It does appear to be the body of an adult,' Lakewood PD stated. An autopsy with the Jefferson County Coroner's Office was due to be held Sunday to conduct an official identification and to determine the cause of death. Gratton-Camis confirmed to Denver7 that it was her daughter's body that was found by Lakewood PD, adding that she was identified by her tattoos. The 34-year-old was wearing the same clothes she left in, which the grief-stricken mother said brought her comfort as she suspected her daughter had died the same night of her disappearance. "That is comforting to me,' her mother told Denver7. 'She was gone the same night she left her house. She didn't spend 6-7 weeks in horrible situations.' Speaking to People magazine, the mother revealed that despite having difficult periods with drug and alcohol abuse, her daughter was doing well at the time of her disappearance. 'She operated a successful business,' says Gratton-Camis. 'She has friends that she has been friends with since middle school.' Her mother also shared that Gratton had donated her time as a stylist to homeless people in the area and adored her family.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Body of gender-swap woman is found months after she vanished from Denver apartment
The body of Jax Gratton - a transgender hairstylist - has been found by police over the weekend after being missing for weeks. Gratton, 34, was last seen at around on April 15, when her roommate said she told him she was heading out that night and would be gone for three hours - but never returned, Denver 7 reports. Her disappearance sparked a two-month long search around the Colorado city, as members of the LGBTQ + community feared she may have been targeted, according to 9 News. Gratton's mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, also expressed her concern about her daughter's disappearance - telling PEOPLE that she had previously been in abusive relationships. Gratton-Camis then announced on Facebook Saturday that her daughter was found dead. 'With a broken heart, I share the news that our beloved Jax Gratton has been found - and she is no longer with us,' the grieving mother wrote on a page dedicated to finding the missing woman. 'There are no words strong enough for the grief we are feeling. The light she carried, the love she gave so freely and the joy she brought into our lives have been taken from this world far too soon.' Still, Gratton-Camis told Denver 7 she found comfort in learning that her daughter was wearing the same clothes she left in on the night of April 15 - suggesting she died the night of her disappearance. 'She didn't spend six to seven weeks in horrible situations,' Gratton-Camis explained, noting that she had received reports that Jax was being held captive and was being tortured. 'So knowing that wasn't true... brings me peace.' Lakewood police have not yet confirmed the body that was found in an alley Friday night is that of Gratton - only saying that it was in an advanced stage of decomposition when a bystander made the discovery. Gratton-Camis said a detective at the scene told her he visually identified Gratton through her tattoos. 'I'm very thankful for that because I would be waiting weeks' for a confirmation, she said. Gratton-Camis had previously said she became concerned when her daughter did not reach out to the family over Easter weekend, which she said was 'unusual.' Gratton's coworkers at Solera Salon in Denver, where stylists manage their own schedules, also realized days later that she had not been coming into work. She completed her last appointment on April 12, but days later, she started missing scheduled sessions - something her friends said was completely out of character. 'It was when she was missing client appointments, especially certain clients who she is very close with, outside the salon, that we realized something wasn't quite right,' Brandy Carey, her manager and close friend, told KCNC-TV. 'We started communicating with each other - 'have you seen Jax? have you seen Jax?' Everybody was like, "no, we haven't heard from her."' Gratton's cause and manner of death remain unclear, and are now the subject of a 'suspicious death investigation'. In the meantime, her mother thanked community members for joining in the search for her daughter. 'I want to thank everyone - near and far- who has shown up for us,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Everyone who sent out a prayer, a hope, a kind thought. Everyone who hit the ground running and hasn't stopped.' 'This has opened my eyes in ways I can't ignore - it's not just about Jax - it's about all of you in the LGBTQIA+ community who face the world every day with courage, just wanting to live, love and exist safely and equally,' she added. 'That should never be a fight. And yet it is.' The heartbroken mother went on to call Gratton a 'light.' 'She lit up so many lives just by being herself. Unapologetically. Fiercefully. Fully,' she wrote. 'I see her in every act of love and strength you've shown and I wish peace, love and protection for all of you.' Gratton-Camis also told Denver 7 she wants her daughter to be remembered as someone who was not afraid to take a stand. 'I want her legacy to be her positivity,' she said. 'She educated so many people. She would talk to people of all ages. She did haircuts for the homeless. 'She would never advertise that or post on Facebook because she felt everybody deserved to feel beautiful and clean.' But Gratton would often shared personal milestones with her followers. As a transgender woman, she documented her surgical journey openly. In March 2023, she marked a major milestone - her first year sober. 'I am no longer running away from my emotions and feeling, that I'm walking in the light of a spiritual path,' she wrote at the time. 'The love and support that has been shown and given to me, makes me value my self worth, I deserve a life of freedom filled with love and growth. Blessed it be!!!'
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tragic end to search for hair stylist Jax Gratton who mysteriously vanished from Denver apartment
The search for a transgender hairstylist has come to a tragic end, as police located her body over the weekend. Jax Gratton, 34, was last seen at around 10pm on April 15, when her roommate said she told him she was heading out that night and would be gone for three hours - but never returned, Denver 7 reports. Her disappearance sparked a two-month long search around the Colorado city, as members of the LGBTQ + community feared she may have been targeted, according to 9 News. Gratton's mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, also expressed her concern about her daughter's disappearance - telling PEOPLE that she had previously been in abusive relationships. Gratton-Camis then announced on Facebook Saturday that her daughter was found dead. 'With a broken heart, I share the news that our beloved Jax Gratton has been found - and she is no longer with us,' the grieving mother wrote on a page dedicated to finding the missing woman. 'There are no words strong enough for the grief we are feeling. The light she carried, the love she gave so freely and the joy she brought into our lives have been taken from this world far too soon.' Still, Gratton-Camis told Denver 7 she found comfort in learning that her daughter was wearing the same clothes she left in on the night of April 15 - suggesting she died the night of her disappearance. Her devastated mother announced the discovery on Facebook 'She didn't spend six to seven weeks in horrible situations,' Gratton-Camis explained, noting that she had received reports that Jax was being held captive and was being tortured. 'So knowing that wasn't true... brings me peace.' Lakewood police have not yet confirmed the body that was found in an alley Friday night is that of Gratton - only saying that it was in an advanced stage of decomposition when a bystander made the discovery. But Gratton-Camis said a detective at the scene told her he visually identified Gratton through her tattoos. 'I'm very thankful for that because I would be waiting weeks' for a confirmation, she said. Gratton-Camis had previously said she became concerned when her daughter did not reach out to the family over Easter weekend, which she said was 'unusual.' Gratton's coworkers at Solera Salon in Denver, where stylists manage their own schedules, also realized days later that she had not been coming into work. She completed her last appointment on April 12, but days later, she started missing scheduled sessions — something her friends said was completely out of character. 'It was when she was missing client appointments, especially certain clients who she is very close with, outside the salon, that we realized something wasn't quite right,' Brandy Carey, her manager and close friend, told KCNC-TV. 'We started communicating with each other -- 'have you seen Jax? have you seen Jax?' Everybody was like, "no, we haven't heard from her."' Gratton's cause and manner of death remain unclear, and are now the subject of a 'suspicious death investigation.' But in the meantime, her mother thanked community members for joining in the search for her daughter. 'I want to thank everyone - near and far- who has shown up for us,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Everyone who sent out a prayer, a hope, a kind thought. Everyone who hit the ground running and hasn't stopped.' 'This has opened my eyes in ways I can't ignore - it's not just about Jax - it's about all of you in the LGBTQIA+ community who face the world every day with courage, just wanting to live, love and exist safely and equally,' she added. 'That should never be a fight. And yet it is.' The heartbroken mother went on to call Gratton a 'light.' 'She lit up so many lives just by being herself. Unapologetically. Fiercefully. Fully,' she wrote. 'I see her in every act of love and strength you've shown and I wish peace, love and protection for all of you.' Gratton-Camis also told Denver 7 she wants her daughter to be remembered as someone who was not afraid to take a stand. 'I want her legacy to be her positivity,' she said. 'She educated so many people. She would talk to people of all ages. She did haircuts for the homeless. 'She would never advertise that or post on Facebook because she felt everybody deserved to feel beautiful and clean.' But Gratton would often shared personal milestones with her followers. As a transgender woman, she documented her surgical journey openly and vulnerably. In March 2023, she marked a major milestone — her first year sober. 'I am no longer running away from my emotions and feeling, that I'm walking in the light of a spiritual path,' she wrote at the time. 'The love and support that has been shown and given to me, makes me value my self worth, I deserve a life of freedom filled with love and growth. Blessed it be!!!'
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Family of missing Denver hairstylist says her body has been found
The family of a Denver hairstylist missing since April said that her body has been found. Jax Gratton was last seen leaving her University Hills apartment on April 15. She rented a suite at Solera Salon Suites in Denver, but because each stylist works for themselves, it took days for anyone to realize she was missing. Family and friends canvassed social media and put up flyers around the city, hoping to find her. On Saturday, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis confirmed with CBS Colorado that her daughter, Jax, was found deceased. Brandy Carey, the salon manager and a friend of Gratton's, said that they plan to hold a vigil for her, but for now, they're taking time off to process what's happened. Jax Gratton has been missing since April 15, her friends and family say. The Denver Police Department is now investigating her disappearance. Gratton's mother posted a tribute to her daughter on Facebook, stating, "Jax Gratton was a light — I know that. She lit up so many lives just by being herself. Unapologetically. Fiercely. Fully. I see her in every act of love and strength you've shown, and I wish peace, love, and protection for all of you." She thanked those who tried to help find her daughter and said Jax's death made her more aware of the dangers those in the LGBTQIA+ community face.
