PRAGMATIC ISSUES

The unsolved and suspicious death of Jax Gratton, a Denver area hairstylist whose remains were found in Lakewood in June 2025, has understandably sparked public outrage.

The autopsy found that decomposition obscured many critical details—meaning investigators can’t conclusively determine whether her death was due to overdose, accident, foul play, or other causes.

Furthermore, community members are calling for an investigation without ties to the Lakewood Police Department, which they worry is mishandling the case. They also want that investigation to look into the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

Jax had been found in a narrow space between two buildings in Lakewood in June, two months after she was reported missing. Her autopsy lists her cause of death as “undetermined” due to decomposition.

Supporters of the community and her mom, feel that the department has erred in the investigation, sighting treatment of Jax’s mom, and public release of information. They have criticized the department for deadnaming Jax — using her previous name, which is considered offensive.

So the autopsy has sighted a lack of evidence, of the forensic kind I would assume. However, she had been found dead outside of the building where she was last known to be alive.

She was reported missing by her mother. Her roommate failed to report her missing, in fact I was thrown by her roommates initial interviews. Talk about not caring at all. The man she had been with last somehow failed to report her missing as well. It has been reported that police knew where that man had taken her but they never checked the alley outside?

Jax lay there.

Alone.

Decomposing for 52 days?

I honestly question that one, the last bit. Have you ever smelled a decomposing body? It’s something that anyone would notice, the wind would carry the oder and it’s something you’d never forget. It is not something that no one would notice.

I would also question the bit about not a soul finding Jax decomposing in an ally, near where she had been for a reported 52 days. It makes zero sense.

I personally do find it rather hard to believe that no one noticed the smell which, makes me wonder if that is where Jax had been for 51 days, it’s highly doubtful she had been in the ally all of that time?!?!??!

Did the police cut out the pad of concrete or cement Jax had been laying on for 52 days?

It is not hard to understand the public outrage, Jax was part of a marginalized group of people, police should be striving more to try to show the community that they truly do care.

For me, when I first saw the story it brought back a cold case that has haunted me since the first day I ever looked at it. Venus Extravaganza and I wondered if Jax’s spirit and her mom would see justice. I hope that they do, I just don’t have faith that will happen. I would love to be proven wrong though.

Despite these obstacles, there are well-established investigative strategies that law enforcement agencies can and should employ to pursue justice in such cases.

• Create an independent oversight task force involving civilian members, advocates (including from LGBTQ+ communities), forensic experts, and possibly national-level advisors. This ensures transparency and builds public confidence.
• Improve communication with the victim’s family and community, which is vital for maintaining trust. Address concerns such as deadnaming and demonstrate cultural competency.
• Re-examine all physical evidence: Even degraded evidence can reveal new clues with modern forensic tools.
• Maintain an airtight chain of custody: Essential for ensuring the integrity and admissibility of any evidence in court.
• Use forensic science techniques like toxicology, biological analysis, and fracture pattern assessments to understand injuries and cause of death—even when decomposition is advanced.
• Deploy a dedicated cold-case investigative unit to bring fresh eyes, databases, and methodologies to re-examine the case.
• Partner with state or federal agencies that can offer additional resources such as advanced labs or specialized investigative support.
• If there’s any preserved DNA evidence, partnering with organizations like the DNA Doe Project or independent genealogy labs could help generate new leads.
• National and international efforts like the Murder Accountability Project (MAP) or algorithm-based tools can help detect patterns linking this case to others.
• Re-interview people involved (like the two men last seen with Jax), especially if their statements have inconsistencies or if new details could emerge over time.
• Review digital and surveillance evidence—like footage, phone metadata, or location tracking—to reconstruct Jax’s final movements.
• Provide clear, consistent updates to the public to manage expectations and mitigate misinformation.
• Intelligent media engagement can bring forward new tips or witnesses—exemplified by cases like JonBenét Ramsey—while safeguarding the investigation.
• Investigators should treat the case as active indefinitely, signaling that pursuing justice isn’t confined by time.
• Successful examples, like the NSW Unsolved Homicide Squad in Australia, show that persistence, new leads, and hard work can yield results—even in decades-old cases.

Why These Strategies Matter

• Restoring community trust is critical, especially when the victim belongs to a marginalized group and the investigation has faced criticism.
• Cross-disciplinary collaborations expand the pool of expertise and resources, creating new paths toward resolution.
• Continued pressure, both public and investigative, keeps cold cases from being forgotten and signals that perpetrators will be pursued

Keep the community informed with regular public updates, balanced with investigative integrity.

Maintain unwavering long-term commitment to investigating this suspicious death.

These steps, grounded in best practices and past cold-case breakthroughs, offer the strongest path toward answering the community’s demands for justice for Jax.

Reference:

What is the NSW Unsolved Homicide Squad?

A Specialized Cold-Case Unit

The NSW Unsolved Homicide Squad (often referred to as the Unsolved Homicide Unit or UHU) is a dedicated law enforcement team within the New South Wales Police Force, tasked specifically with investigating unsolved murder cases, suspicious deaths, and missing persons cases dating back to as early as the 1970s.

• As of early 2025, the squad was overseeing nearly 30 cold-case homicides and reviewing over 218 suspicious deaths or disappearances.
• Since its establishment in 2008, the unit has successfully charged more than 33 individuals, including three serial killers, using a combination of updated investigations, forensic technology, reinterviewed witnesses, and covert operations.
• The entire NSW Police Force’s Homicide Squad, including the Unsolved Homicide Squad, operates under the State Crime Command—a specialist branch responsible for serious crime resolution in the state.

Origins and Collaborative Efforts

• The UHU was formally created in 2004 to bring renewed focus and resources to cold-case investigations.
• In 2018, NSW Police launched a sweeping review of around 500 cold-case homicides, with formal cases already being re-examined using modern technologies and investigative methods.

Public Engagement and Innovations

The squad innovates its approach to gathering leads and maintaining engagement with communities:

• In 2022, playing cards featuring images and case info on cold-case victims were distributed in NSW jails—an initiative that leverages inmate networks to generate potential investigative leads.
• Rewards and advanced forensic reconstructions are also deployed. One case involving a decapitated victim dating back to 1997 featured a $500,000 reward and a digital facial reconstruction to aid in identification.

Challenges and Oversight

• A Special Commission of Inquiry scrutinized the unit’s handling of suspected gay-hate murders from 1970–2010. It highlighted systemic issues in record-keeping, file mismanagement, and an inability to accurately track and review cases. In that period, more than 400 unsolved homicides were registered, yet just 76 cases were reviewed between 2009 and 2017. Many case files were improperly archived or went missing altogether.
• The backlog and slow progress raised concerns about the ability of the squad to keep pace. At the existing review rate, it would take decades to revisit even half the unresolved cases.

Recent Developments

• The squad continues to reinvestigate notorious cold cases. For instance:
  
  • A 1974 murder (Stewart John Regan) remains “technically open,” although police say there’s insufficient evidence for a full re-investigation. Meanwhile, public probes and podcasts continue pushing for transparency.
  • A new strike force—Strike Force Raphoe II—has been formed to re-analyze evidence in the double murder of Susan Kay and Joanne Teterin (2000), with hopes that fresh forensic breakthroughs can yield results after 25 years.

The NSW Unsolved Homicide Squad embodies a long-term commitment to never letting unresolved crimes fade into obscurity—even when hindered by resource limitations and internal challenges. Their evolving mission combines new tech, investigative persistence, and public collaboration.