Latest news with #JaxGratton
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Friends remember Jax Gratton two months after she went missing
DENVER (KDVR) — Friends gathered at the Denver City and County Building Monday to remember Jax Gratton, the Denver hairstylist who went missing nearly two months ago. Jax's mother says her daughter's body was found in Lakewood Friday night, although Lakewood police have not confirmed that. Teen accused of killing Commerce City 16-year-old released ahead of a trial 'As a proud and fierce transgender woman, Jax faced adversity with grace, strength, and an unshakable sense of self,' Brandy Carey, a friend, said to the crowd. 'She was funny, loud, loving, and just a joy to be around.' The group said they are seeking information and justice. Lakewood Police say they are investigating a suspicious death after a badly decomposed body was found in an alley in the 9600 block of West Colfax Avenue Friday. The Jefferson County Coroner has not publicly identified the victim or the cause of death. 'We are scared, we are hurting, and we are angry,' Tynk Insy said at the gathering. Trio of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' stars to headline Denver PrideFest's Center Stage State Representative Brianna Titone read a statement to the group from Jax's mother, Cherilynn Gratton-Camis. It said in part, 'Today, we speak the name of a daughter, a friend, and a beautiful human being who should still be here. Jax Gratton. She was bold. She was loud. She was full of life, creativity, and love. She dreamed of adventures, of making art that helped people see the beauty in life. She wanted what every person deserves—a chance to live safely and fully, as herself. But the world around her made that feel like too much to ask. She was trans, and she was terrified. Not because of who she was, but because of what the world is becoming.' Cherilynn Gratton-Camis A service was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, at the Highlands United Methodist Church. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
09-06-2025
- CBS News
Friends, colleagues gather to remember life of Jax Gratton after Denver hairstylist found dead
Amidst tears and warm embraces, Jax Gratton's presence was felt in Denver on Monday morning. "The reach has gone all the way internationally," Brandy Carey, a friend of hers, told CBS Colorado. "That's what she does." The Denver hairstylist, who identified as a transgender woman and was a prominent member of the city's LGBTQ+ community, had been missing for over two months. After a long search, Lakewood police announced on Saturday afternoon that they had found a body that could be Gratton. While the Jefferson County Coroner's Office has yet to identify the body, her family believes it to be her. On Monday afternoon, an impromptu celebration of life and newspress conference was called outside the City and County of Denver Building. In attendance were various community groups and leaders, as well as those who knew Gratton from a variety of places, be it the salon where she worked, the clubs she frequented, or the activist organizations she was a part of. "I think she's still doing that now," Carey said of her friend's ability to connect people. "She's brought so many of us together that didn't know each other." Brandy Carey remembers her friend Jax Gratton at a news conference and memorial in Denver on Monday, June 9, 2025. CBS Along with tearful testimonials of how Gratton impacted their lives, many speakers included a call to action: to fight for and advocate for marginalized communities the way she did. "That's the power of a personality like that," said Z. Williams, who met Gratton through activist circles, "bringing people in to finding their voice." While Williams told CBS News Colorado that much of her social circle is in those places, Gratton had a rare talent for existing in any social setting and making friends everywhere. Her death has galvanized many to take up her causes, as opposed to just focusing on the nature of her passing. "That's not martyrdom or anything like that," Williams explained. "That's just continuing the things that Jax started and ignited in many people." Z. Williams speaks about the community that her late friend Jax Gratton helped cultivate in their activist circles. CBS Statements were read on behalf of Gratton's siblings and parents, while friends and colleagues remembered the joyful moments and memories. "There's so many different funny stories to remember about Jax," said Carey. "So many candid things. And I'll always keep that with me." While the investigation, including the identification of the body in the Coroner's Office and the cause of death, is still underway, the LGBTQ+ community in Denver is taking a moment to remember one of their own. Regardless of how Gratton passed, they say, the lifelong mission of advocating for uplifting marginalized communities in the area lives on in each of them. A memorial for Jax Gratton sits in front of the City and County of Denver building on Monday, June 9, 2025 as friends and colleagues gather at a news conference and memorial for the Denver hairstylist. CBS "Our communities are supposed to gather and come together to make lives better and that's what Jax wanted," Carey said. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.
-copy.jpeg%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
09-06-2025
- 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
09-06-2025
- 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!!!'
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mother of Denver hairstylist missing for months says she will always be proud of her daughter
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. Police consider whether 'King of the Hill' actor's sexual orientation played a role in his killing 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. Previous: Mother of Denver woman missing since April said she was found dead in Lakewood alley 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. Free on Your TV • New FOX31+ App for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV '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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
