The Denver community is mourning the loss of Jax Gratton, a 34-year-old hairstylist and proud trans woman who went missing in April. On Saturday, June 7, Gratton’s mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, announced the heartbreaking news that her daughter had been 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,” Gratton-Camis 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.”
Jax Gratton was last seen on the night of April 15, leaving her apartment in Denver around 10 p.m. She told her roommate she’d be gone for three hours but never returned. Her sudden disappearance sent shockwaves through Denver’s LGBTQ+ community, sparking a massive search that saw friends, family, and allies come together to find her.
On Friday, June 6, a bystander discovered human remains in an alleyway in the 9600 block of West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado. Lakewood Police confirmed the body was in an advanced state of decomposition. While authorities have not yet positively identified the remains through official channels, Gratton-Camis said detectives visually confirmed the identity by Jax’s tattoos and clothing.
“I’m very thankful for that because I would be waiting weeks,” Gratton-Camis told Denver7. “It is comforting to me. She was gone the same night she left her house. She didn’t spend six or seven weeks in horrible situations.”
For weeks, Gratton’s family and friends feared the worst, receiving troubling tips suggesting she was being held captive and tortured. Gratton-Camis said those rumors were deeply painful, but the discovery of Jax’s body brought at least some peace: “So, knowing that wasn’t true… that brings me peace,” she said.
Lakewood police have described the case as a “suspicious death investigation.” The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of death. Until that official determination is made, questions remain about what happened to Jax the night she vanished.
Jax’s disappearance and tragic death have shone a harsh light on the violence and vulnerability trans people often face. In her Facebook post, Gratton-Camis addressed not just her own grief but also the resilience and courage of the LGBTQIA+ community: “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.”
Jax Gratton was known for her radiant personality and deep love for those around her. Friends and clients remember her as someone who lit up every room she entered, someone who was unapologetically herself, fiercely, fully, and with unwavering authenticity.
“Jax Gratton was a light, I know that,” her mother wrote. “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.”
For nearly two months, community members tirelessly organized searches, distributed flyers, and shared Jax’s story online. The solidarity and outpouring of support from Denver’s LGBTQ+ community have been powerful, reflecting the urgency and heartbreak of too many missing and murdered transgender individuals across the country.
As the investigation continues, many in the community are calling for justice and answers. The circumstances surrounding Jax’s death remain under active investigation, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.
For now, friends, family, and allies are focused on remembering the life Jax led, the laughter she shared, the love she offered, and the bravery she embodied. Her death is a devastating reminder of the violence and systemic challenges that transgender people face daily and also of the community’s enduring resilience and unity in the face of such tragedy.
In her final message to those who stood by Jax throughout her disappearance, Gratton-Camis offered heartfelt gratitude: “I want to thank everyone, near and far, who has shown up for us. 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.”
As the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office works to determine the official cause of death, the Denver LGBTQ+ community is left to grapple with the loss of one of its own. In the face of grief, they stand together, honoring Jax’s memory by continuing to demand a world where all transgender people can live safely and fully, without fear, without apology, and without compromise.
