Jax Gratton missing transgender Denver, Colorado trangender hairstylist found dead according to her mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis. Cause and manner of death yet to be revealed in ‘suspicious death’.
A Denver, Colorado hairstylist who mysteriously vanished in April after leaving her apartment late evening was found dead over the weekend according to her family.
Jack ‘Jax’ Gratton, 34, a transgender woman was last seen leaving her apartment at around 10:00 p.m. on April 15, having told her roommate she’d only be gone for about three hours, her family had previously told KMGH-TV.
The ‘decomposed’ body of Gratton was found Friday in a Lakewood alley and appeared to have been there for a while, police said according to KMGH-TV. The missing woman was identified through her tattoos.
How did Jax Gratton missing Denver trans hairstylist come to die?
Jax was verified as wearing the same clothes she left in, bringing the spectre that the missing hairstylist likely died the same night they disappeared.
‘My fear is that somebody killed her,’ the missing woman’s mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis told PEOPLE following her daughter’s disappearance, claiming Jax had previously been in abusive relationships.
Posted the mother in a Facebook post on Saturday: ‘With a broken heart, I share the news that our beloved Jax Gratton has been found — and she is no longer with us.
‘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.
Cause and manner of death unknown
‘I want to thank everyone — near and far — who has shown up for us,’ Gratton-Camis went on. ‘Everyone who shared her story. Everyone who shared her face. Everyone who sent out a prayer, a hope, a kind thought. Everyone who hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped.’
In her post, Gratton-Camis shared that her daughter — a trans woman — helped her understand the experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community ‘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,’ she continued.
‘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.’
The Lakewood Police Department has since confirmed that a body was found on Friday in a ‘suspicious death,’ according to 9 News.
The cause and manner of death has yet to be revealed. An autopsy by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office is scheduled imminently.
Authorities have not stated if they believed the Denver hairstylist had run into foul play and whether any potential arrests were forthcoming.
Or whether Jax’s death was at her own hands…?
