Jax Gratton’s grieving mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, wanted a meaningful apology from the Lakewood police chief.
The police department, as she sees it, has slow-pedaled its investigation into Jax’s death and mishandled an announcement that her body had been found, using the trans woman’s deadname as well as her chosen name in quotes.
The police chief apologized for doing so at Monday’s city council meeting. He said the department would “do better.” But he left the meeting before Jax’s supporters could raise concerns. Appalled, Jax’s mother and supporters now doubt his sincerity.
The investigation is ongoing. The police and the Jefferson County Coroner have little to say about where things stand: How Jax died, whether her death was a homicide, and what factors led to it.
“It is under investigation,” Jefferson County Coroner Dr. Annette Cannon said.
The autopsy was conducted on June 8, and results typically come within eight weeks after that date, though timelines can vary based on the circumstances.
“We are treating it as a suspicious death, and have been since the beginning,” Lakewood police spokesperson John Romero wrote Denverite. “That means we are actively looking into all possible scenarios that may have led to Jax’s death.”
Neither the coroner nor the police can speak to the specifics of open investigations, but the police are waiting for the cause of death to be determined by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, which works independently of the city of Lakewood.
Gratton-Camis and Jax’s community are haunted by all the unanswered questions.
Jax was a popular hairdresser with more than 900 clients. When she wasn’t working, she would go to homeless encampments and offer haircuts to people living outside. She was celebrated by the art, activist and queer communities.
How had she disappeared in April, only to be found, decomposing, between two buildings in Lakewood, in June?
Were the police taking the case seriously? It had taken more than a week to convince Lakewood police to accept Jax’s laptop as evidence.
“As far as details of the case go, we cannot release any of that information at this time, as it is in the best interest of the investigation not to release details while the case is active and ongoing,” Romero wrote. “If this turns into a criminal investigation, these details could be crucial to getting justice for Jax.”
Gratton-Camis felt she had been treated brusquely and with little care. When the grieving mother had spoken with investigators and the coroner, they had interrupted her, she and an advocate present for the calls told Denverite. Was this how it was for everyone who had lost a loved one?
“I felt like a 10-year-old child being reprimanded by a total stranger,” Gratton-Camis said.
She wondered whether it was all because her daughter was transgender, she said.
Cannon declined to comment on interactions with the family, reiterating that the case was under investigation.
Were detectives bothering to follow leads, to investigate, to consider that her daughter could have been murdered and left hidden between two buildings to decay? Or were detectives writing Jax off as unworthy of an actual investigation?
Police Chief Philip Smith, Jr. insists the department is taking the investigation seriously.
“It’s very important to understand that our detectives are waiting for a cause of death to be determined,” Romero wrote. “They do not have any control over that process.”
When trying to make arrangements for her daughter’s body after the autopsy, the coroner, Gratton-Camis recalled, asked: “How long should we keep it in storage?”
“She is not a package to be stored,” Gratton-Camis told Denverite.
The process for releasing the body was confusing to Gratton-Camis. She did not know when – or if – she should call to find out when the autopsy was complete.
When 500 people showed up to mourn Jax, she was still with the coroner.
“We had her rosary without her body there,” Gratton-Camis said.
The coroner declined to comment on all interactions with the family, citing the ongoing investigation.
Because Jax’s death has not been ruled a homicide, Gratton-Camis still has no victim advocate to help her navigate the complicated city system, to care for her as she grieves.
On Monday, community activists planned to ask Lakewood City Council to create independent oversight of the police investigation and ensure it was done correctly.
Jax went missing in April after she left her Denver apartment with an unidentified person. Days went by with no word. Community members launched search parties for her. Denver police investigated her disappearance. Her mother held out hope she would be found.
In early June, a person found her body in Lakewood in between two buildings. The local police took over the investigation.
After that, Jax’s friends and family said communication ground to a halt.
The handful of activists who attended the council meeting to demand a more rigorous and competent investigation wore buttons and shirts: “Protect Trans Lives” and “Justice for Jax.”
Three people had signed up to speak – all three addressing what they viewed as the mishandling of Jax’s investigation.
But before they could, Mayor Wendi Strom gave the mic to Police Chief Smith, Jr.
The chief read a statement.
“I’m honored to be the chief police for Lakewood,” Smith said. “And I'm honored to be the police chief for our entire community.”
He turned and looked at the dozen or so friends of Jax, a gesture they said afterward felt threatening.
“Chief Smith referred to himself being the Chief of our entire community as a way to confirm our commitment to inclusivity in everything we do as a police department,” Romero wrote. “He was specifically recognizing Jax’s supporters to let them know that we are taking this investigation seriously and are doing everything in our power to investigate this and bring some closure for her mother and friends.”
Smith said the department is dedicated to honoring individuals’ identities during investigations.
“The announcement of a deceased person is one of our — and one of the — most difficult to share as the public notice is often the first time those who knew and loved that person learn of their passing,” he said. “In the public notice, the Lakewood Police Department used both Jax’s chosen name out of respect for her, but also included her legal name.”
He said the department did not intend to be disrespectful and apologized for causing additional pain to the community and her loved ones.
“We are committed to collaborating with members of this community to ensure that all individuals feel respected and valued, and we want to do better,” he said.
Smith said Lakewood officers are collaborating with Denver police, who initially investigated the case. He said that because it’s an ongoing investigation, there is limited information the department can share.
He committed to form a team within the department to help officers “better understand and represent the voices and experiences of all members of the community we serve.”
Part of that is undergoing cultural competency training for personal and professional development.
“It is our ongoing pledge to ensure we at the Lakewood Police Department uphold the highest standards of empathy, fairness and service,” he said.
Watching from her computer in Missoula, Mont., Jax’s mother appreciated his words and at first believed them.
But as the public comment period started – when Jax’s friends and supporters were each given three minutes to speak – the police chief walked up a ramp and out of the council chambers.
The first speaker was long-time community activist Z Williams, who had known Jax since they were youth.
Williams blasted Lakewood police for deadnaming Jax.
“That’s not a mistake,” the activist said. “That is violence. Deadnaming a trans person is violence. The mother had to beg for communication from the police.”
Williams went over their three-minute allotment. The mayor asked the activist to stop, threatening to call a recess, but they would not.
“Jax is a woman who woke up with the odds against her, who never had a voice at this platform because she was trans and chose to fight for people,” Williams said.
The mayor interrupted Williams and called for a ten-minute recess to reestablish control of the council chambers. Most members remained behind to listen to Williams finish their speech.
Supporters chanted “Long live Jax.”
“This is a trans woman that died on our streets in Lakewood,” Williams said. “And our police are failing her. Our mayor is failing her. The Jefferson County coroner is failing her. The only people who cannot fail her are you. You have a choice tonight. It is a moral choice.”
Williams lifted a box containing Jax’s cremated remains.
“This is what's left of my friend,” Williams said. “This is her. This is all her mother has now. So what are you going to do with that? Because you have so much power… Please do something for Jax. Make sure there is oversight. Shame on that chief of police for walking out of this room. Shame on him. He should have to answer to all these people who love Jax.”
Williams was followed by other advocates who asked for an independent investigation into the Lakewood Police Department’s handling of Jax’s death.
When Gratton-Camis learned the police chief had left the room before Jax’s friends and supporters spoke to the council, the mother stood in disbelief.
She had trusted the chief. She had accepted his apology. She liked that he was taking accountability and action.
But she was devastated he chose not to stay, she said.
“I’m heartbroken once again,” she said. “Once again, the system has let me down.”
She wished she weren’t hundreds of miles away. She wanted to confront the chief, face-to-face, and ask him why he left when the three people slated to speak only had nine minutes.
Denverite requested an interview with the chief, but he declined. The department did not answer Denverite’s question about criticisms of the chief’s choice to leave before Jax’s community spoke.
“My daughter isn’t worth nine minutes of his time,” she said. “The whole trans community is not worth nine minutes of his time.”
