Alabama scholar James Gracey, 20, discovered lifeless two days after vanishing in Barcelona

An American student who vanished during a trip to Spain has been found dead, police told the Daily Mail.

James ‘Jimmy’ Gracey, 20, a junior at the University of Alabama, was holidaying for spring break and visiting friends studying abroad in Barcelona.

A source at Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan regional police force, told the Daily Mail his body was discovered by divers on Thursday.

Gracey’s body was pulled from the water about 6pm local time and formally identified, with his family notified, the source said. 

He is believed to have drowned, but an autopsy will be needed to confirm.

The student was last seen on Tuesday, about 3am at the beachfront nightclub Shôko, according to his mother, Therese Gracey in Chicago. 

Police said security cameras showed Gracey leaving the venue with a yet-to-be-identified stranger after he was seen talking to an unidentified American woman.

The Daily Mail was earlier told how Gracey likely died, along with a witness account of his final moments.

Police believe that when he left a nightclub after drinking, he walked towards a rocky breakwater that stuck out of the nearby beach and may have fallen into the sea.

‘A witness who happened to be passing saw him leave the nightclub, saw him heading towards this rocky outcrop,’ a source at Mossos d’Esquadra earlier told the Daily Mail.

‘From there he may have fallen into the sea and drowned.’

A witness told police they saw a young man walking towards the sea on the beach adjacent to the nightclub, and again on the breakwater.

Gracey is from the Elmhurst suburb of Chicago, Illinois, but attends the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where he is part of the Theta Chi fraternity.

Police boats and divers searched the area along Somorrostro Beach with the help of a helicopter and drones, and found Gracey’s wallet floating in the water.

The popular beach is right outside Shôko next to Port Olympic, one of two major marinas in central Barcelona, and investigators theorized he entered the water.

Gracey’s body was found along the breakwater in front of Port Olympic in water about four meters (12ft) deep, police said.

Wednesday’s search failed to find any trace of Gracey other than the wallet, and police expanded the grid to Barceloneta Beach, just south of Somorrostro, on Thursday in case his body was carried there by the current. 

Gracey’s family declined to comment on the discovery of his body, saying they wanted to ‘focus on being together and caring for one another’.

‘We are so grateful for the kindness and concern that has been shown for our family during this incredibly difficult time,’ they said.

What happened to Gracey after he was separated from his friends at the club is still unknown and investigators are piecing together his movements. 

Gracey’s Theta Chi fraternity brother, Cavin McLay, said he wanted to stay longer at Shôko and was lost in the chaos of the crowded dancefloor.

Mossos d’Esquadra said security camera footage reviewed by police showed Gracey leaving Shôko with another person, but investigators have not yet identified them.

Gracey was seen talking to a young, brown-haired American woman at the nightclub, but it was unclear if she was the same person he left with.

However, police sources told the Daily Mail that no criminal motive was believed to be connected to Gracey’s death.

Police searched the Airbnb where Gracey was staying and interviewed the friends he was sharing the holiday rental with and others he was with that night.

Therese said police found her son’s phone when they arrested someone, but cops had shared very few details with the family.

‘What we’ve put together is that his phone was stolen and the police just happened to pick the guy who stole it up,’ she wrote online.

She claimed that law enforcement had discovered Gracey’s phone ‘when they searched the guy.’

Police told the Daily Mail they arrested a man who has a series of criminal convictions in connection with the theft of Gracey’s phone.

When the phone was unlocked, officers dialed the last numbers that called it and discovered they were people who knew Gracey.

The man, who has not been identified, told police he found the phone.

Therese on Tuesday afternoon Chicago time issued an urgent plea for help in the search for her missing son in a Facebook post.

‘The police have his phone but he never made it back to his Airbnb,’ she wrote, pleading with anyone who may have seen him to contact her.

Gracey was wearing a white t-shirt and dark pants, likely joggers, as well as a gold chain with a rhinestone cross when he disappeared.

Gracey’s father, Taras, has already traveled to Barcelona to search for his son and Therese will likely join him soon.

His uncle is David Gracey, a CNN senior producer in Washington, and he is the eldest of Taras and Therese’s five children.

Gracey’s family on Wednesday said it was ‘deeply concerned’ about him since his disappearance, which was out of character for the responsible young man.

‘Jimmy is a kind, responsible, and devoted son and brother. It is completely out of character for him not to check in with family and friends,’ they said in a statement.

‘We are working closely with local authorities and are incredibly grateful for the support we have received. 

‘We ask that you keep Jimmy in your thoughts as we continue to do everything we can to bring him home safely.’

Shôko is a bustling beachfront nightclub along Barcelona’s La Barceloneta seaside neighborhood, known for its Mediterranean views and popular among locals and visitors.

It has been ranked the seventh best nightclub in the world by Nightlife International.

Gracey was staying at an Airbnb on Ronda de Sant Pere, one of the city’s main roads.

The distance from Shôko to his tourist apartment is roughly 3km (1.8 miles). He never made it back from the club, his mother said.

‘We are conducting the initial checks and have taken a report in an open investigation,’ police said.

‘A call was received early yesterday morning, around 1am, reporting a possible disappearance.

‘The disappearance was reported to have occurred on March 17, 2026, at 3am, in the Port Olympic area.’

Gracey was in Amsterdam over the weekend and arrived in Barcelona on Monday morning, according to family members.

McLay said he learned that Gracey was missing from a friend the next morning, after Gracey did not return to the Airbnb.

‘My heart sank to my stomach. It’s definitely not a good text to wake up to,’ he told NBC.

‘First thoughts were, hopefully, he just lost his phone and tried making his way back on his own.’

McLay said about ten people in the group were in Barcelona right now, visiting a few fraternity members who were studying abroad.

He said there was nothing out of the ordinary at the nightclub and no reason for any of the holidaymakers to fear for their safety.

‘It’s tough. We’re doing everything we can to keep our heads up and remain hopeful that we find him safe, but it’s a tough time. And, you know, we’re scared,’ he told WVMTM.

A post from November said Gracey had been elected onto the fraternity’s executive board as a chaplain.

Gracey wrote on LinkedIn that he was looking forward to ‘leading with integrity, promoting a values-based culture and supporting the personal and spiritual growth of the chapter’.

The missing student’s friends rallied to help find him, handing out flyers on the beach and asking anyone if they had seen him.

The University of Alabama confirmed Gracey was a student on a personal trip.

‘UA staff are in touch with the family and those associated with them to offer support and assistance in any way possible,’ it said.