Jax Gratton, the 34-year-old hairstylist who had been missing in Denver since April, has been found dead, her mother revealed.
Cherilynne Gratton-Camis made the tragic revelation a Facebook post Saturday, saying her daughter has been “taken from this world far too soon.”
“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.
“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.”
“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.”
Lakewood Police Department has since confirmed that a body was found on Friday.
Gratton was last seen leaving her Denver apartment on April 15 at around 10 p.m., her family previously told KMGH-TV.
She told her roommate that she was going to be out for about 3 hours, but she didn’t return.
After her family reported her missing, her mother described feeling “terrified” for her daughter.
“My fear is that somebody killed her,” Gratton-Camis told People at the time, alleging that she had previously been in abusive relationships.