Body of missing University of Alabama student found in Barcelona
A 20-year-old University of Alabama student from the Chicago area who disappeared during a trip to Barcelona has been found dead, according to Catalan police. Authorities identified him as James Gracey, an accounting student from Elmhurst, Illinois.
Catalan police said Thursday that a body was found in the Somorrostro area of Barcelona’s waterfront and later confirmed it was Gracey, who had been missing since early Tuesday.
The discovery came after a search that focused on the shoreline and nearby waters after investigators found evidence suggesting he had headed toward the beach after leaving a nightclub.
Spanish outlets El Periodico and La Vanguardia reported that investigators had focused on the waterfront after witness accounts and other evidence placed Gracey heading toward the beach after he was last seen.
El Periodico reported that authorities had deployed aquatic and underwater police units along with drones as part of the search. Police have so far ruled out signs of a crime.
Gracey was a third-year accounting student at the University of Alabama and had traveled to Europe during spring break to visit friends who were studying abroad, according to the reports. After stopping in Amsterdam, he arrived in Barcelona on Monday morning and had been expected to leave on Saturday.
He was last seen at about 3 a.m. after going out with a friend to Shoko, a nightclub in the Port Olímpic area along Barcelona’s seafront. The friend returned home, but Gracey stayed behind and did not make it back to the Airbnb where he was staying on Ronda de Sant Pere.
His mother had appealed for help on social media after his disappearance, saying her son had gone to Shoko with friends, that police had his phone, and that he never returned to the Airbnb. She said he was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants and was last seen by a friend at about 3 a.m.
La Vanguardia reported that Gracey’s wallet was found floating near the beach on Wednesday, reinforcing investigators’ belief that he may have entered the water. The newspaper also reported that local police recovered a phone from a repeat offender who said he had found it on the beach, and officers later confirmed it belonged to the missing student.
Authorities had begun reviewing surveillance video, speaking with possible witnesses and searching the place where Gracey had been staying after his family reported him missing, according to El Periodico. His parents traveled to Barcelona during the search.
In a statement released after his body was identified, the family said: “We are so grateful for the kindness and concern that has been shown for our family during this incredibly difficult time. We have made the decision to pause media interviews at this time to focus on being together and caring for one another. Thank you for respecting our privacy and holding our family in your thoughts and prayers.”
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