Jimmy Gracey's death deemed accidental after vanishing on spring break in Barcelona, police say

Spanish authorities accidental they've ruled retired foul play successful the decease of Jimmy Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama junior, who vanished during a outpouring interruption travel to Barcelona aft partying astatine the city's famed Shoko nightclub connected the Mediterranean enactment aboriginal Tuesday morning.

On Thursday, they recovered his assemblage from the h2o successful a marina conscionable 500 feet away.

"Everything points to it being an accidental death," a spokesperson for the Mossos d'Esquadra, the determination Catalan police, said successful a connection Friday.

Gracey, a assemblage inferior lasting 6 feet, 1 inch tall, and a radical of friends from the Alabama section of the Theta Chi fraternity flew to Europe for a outpouring interruption trip, with plans to sojourn friends successful Barcelona who are studying abroad.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA STUDENT JAMES GRACEY DISAPPEARS IN BARCELONA AFTER VISITING FRIENDS STUDYING ABROAD

The past known photograph of Jimmy Gracey shows him wearing a achromatic T-shirt and golden concatenation adorned with a rhinestone cross. He was past seen astir 3 a.m. astatine the Shoko nightclub successful Barcelona. (Gracey family)

On Monday evening, they went to Shoko, which is connected the Barcelona waterfront adjacent to Port Olimpic, a marina connected the Mediterranean Sea. The last known photograph of him live shows him wrong the club, with curly brownish hairsbreadth and wearing his signature golden chain, with a rhinestone cross.

Most of the radical near astir 3 a.m. Tuesday, but Gracey stayed behind. He was seen talking to an American pistillate with brownish hair, according to section reports.

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Catalan constabulary from the Mossos d'Esquadra execute a betterment cognition astatine Port Olimpic marina successful Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (James Breeden for Fox News Digital)

Police person not confirmed Gracey’s movements aft helium was past seen extracurricular the club.

By the clip his friends awoke aboriginal that morning, helium had failed to instrumentality to the group's Airbnb on Ronda de Sant Pere, a cardinal avenue successful the metropolis astir 1.5 miles from Shoko.

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Catalan constabulary from the Mossos d'Esquadra hunt the shoreline and Port Olimpic marina successful Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 19, 2026. Police were searching for clues arsenic to the whereabouts of 20 year-old University of Alabama pupil James Gracey who was past seen aboriginal Tuesday greeting astatine lo al nightclub, Shoko. (James Breeden for Fox News Digital)

Friends notified his household and section police, who opened an investigation, according to Mossos d'Esquadra, the determination constabulary unit successful Catalonia, which includes Barcelona.

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Police recovered Gracey’s telephone during the apprehension of a third-party idiosyncratic sometime aft his disappearance, though authorities person not specified precisely when. Authorities began analyzing Gracey's recovered telephone to get his determination data, conducting interviews and reviewing surveillance video from Shoko and adjacent businesses.

General presumption of Shoko nightclub Port Olimpic marina successful Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, March 19, 2026. Police were searching for clues arsenic to the whereabouts of 20-year-old University of Alabama pupil James Gracey who was past seen aboriginal Tuesday greeting astatine lo al nightclub, Shoko. (James Breeden for Fox News Digital)

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Authorities person declined to sermon details astir that apprehension and it remains unclear whether the individual's possession of the telephone is connected to Gracey's disappearance.

The lawsuit made planetary headlines aft Gracey's mother, Therese Gracey, posted astir his disappearance successful a Facebook radical for expats successful Barcelona, and his father, Taras Gracey, flew to Spain to instrumentality portion successful the hunt effort.

Jimmy Gracey pictured successful an undated photograph wearing a Crimson Tide shot jersey. The University of Alabama inferior was reported missing from a travel to Barcelona connected March 17. (Gracey family)

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On Thursday, Mossos 'dEsquadra deployed dive teams on the Mediterranean beach.

Around 6:30 p.m., a idiosyncratic astatine the marina was seen moving retired and flagging down officers. He pointed successful the absorption helium came from, and constabulary soon cordoned disconnected the area, with investigators focused connected thing inside.

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Despite debased visibility — conscionable nether 16 inches — they recovered Gracey's remains astir 7:15 p.m.

"Our household is heartbroken arsenic we corroborate that Jimmy’s assemblage has been recovered successful Barcelona," the Gracey household said successful a statement. "Jimmy was a profoundly loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend, and our household is struggling to travel to presumption with this unimaginable loss."

Fox News' Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.