Latest news with #Gratton-Camis
International Business Times
a day ago
- International Business Times
Jax Gratton: Transgender Hairstylist Who Went Mysteriously Disappeared from Her Denver Apartment Found Dead
The search for a missing transgender hairstylist ended in tragedy after police found her body over the weekend. Jax Gratton, 34, was last seen around 10 p.m. on April 15, when she told her roommate she was going out for a few hours but never returned, Denver 7 reported. Her disappearance triggered a two-month search throughout the Colorado city, with concerns from the LGBTQ+ community that she may have been specifically targeted, 9 News reported. Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, Gratton's mother, expressed her concerns about her daughter's disappearance, telling PEOPLE that she had a history of being in abusive relationships. On Saturday, Gratton-Camis confirmed on Facebook that her daughter was found dead. Tragic End "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." Gratton-Camis told Denver 7 that she found some solace in knowing her daughter was still wearing the same clothes she had on when she left the night of April 15, indicating that she likely died that same evening. "She didn't spend six to seven weeks in horrible situations," Gratton-Camis said, saying that she had initially received news that Jax was being held captive and was being tortured. "So knowing that wasn't true... brings me peace." Lakewood police have not officially confirmed that the body found in an alley Friday night is that of Gratton, only saying that it was severely decomposed when a passerby found it. However, Gratton-Camis said a detective at the scene told her he recognized Jax by her tattoos. "I'm very thankful for that because I would be waiting weeks" for a confirmation, she said. Cause of Death Still Unclear Gratton-Camis earlier said that she became worried when her daughter failed to contact the family over Easter weekend—something she described as out of character. Gratton's coworkers at Solera Salon in Denver, where stylists manage their own appointments, also noticed days later that she had stopped showing up for work. She finished her final appointment on April 12, but after that she began missing scheduled sessions which her friends described as highly unusual for her. "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.'" The exact cause and circumstances of Gratton's death are still unknown and are currently being investigated as part of a "suspicious death investigation."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
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.' Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 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. Read the original article on People
