Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based senior editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.
Days after a University of Alabama student had been reported missing in Spain, he was found dead, police in Spain said March 19. James Gracey, a 20-year-old American student, had traveled to Barcelona to visit his friends studying abroad.
Authorities first learned about his possible disappearance when they received a call around 3 a.m. the morning of March 17, a Catalonia Police spokesperson told NBC News. He was last seen at Shôko, a beach nightclub in Port Olímpic, his family said in a statement to NBC News. On March 19, Catalan Police told NBC News that Gracey's body was found at Somorrostro Beach at 6 p.m. local time. The investigation is ongoing and no cause of death has been reported at this time. When learning of his disappearance, Gracey’s family described him in a press release as about 6’1” and 175 pounds and was last seen in a white T-shirt, dark pants that are likely joggers and a gold chain with a rhinestone cross. His mother, Ali Gracey, posted on Facebook that police had her son’s phone “but he didn’t make it back to the air bnb.” She did not share how police located his phone, but urged the public to contact her if anyone had information that could help investigators locate him. James Gracey’s aunt, Beth Marren O’Reilly, also told NBC News, “It’s one of those things you think isn’t going to happen to your family.” O’Reilly added that they were “really worried” because her nephew “typically makes very good decisions.” “He doesn’t usually get into trouble, and that’s really why we’re really worried about him right now,” she said. Gracey, a Chicago area native, was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity at the University of Alabama. Cavin McLay, president of the university’s Theta Chi chapter, was also in Barcelona at the time of James Gracey’s disappearance, though was not with him that night. “One of the brothers that was with him that night texted me early the next morning,” McLay told NBC News. “My heart sank to my stomach.” McLay noted that the night James Gracey disappeared, the friends who were with him didn’t notice anything suspicious or weird. “Jimmy is a great guy. He’s honestly a man of upstanding character. He serves as a mentor to a lot of the youth guys in our chapter,” he said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
University of Alabama Student James Gracey Missing in SpainUniversity of Alabama junior James ‘Jimmy’ Gracey went missing in Barcelona, Spain, where he was visiting friends for spring break
Read more »
University of Alabama student reported missing in Spain while on spring break tripJames Paul “Jimmy' Gracey, 20, was visiting friends in Barcelona while on spring break.
Read more »
Family seeks help finding 20-year-old University of Alabama student missing in SpainJames 'Jimmy' Gracey was visiting friends in Barcelona when he went missing.
Read more »
Live Updates: University of Alabama student James 'Jimmy' Gracey missing in Spain during spring breakJames 'Jimmy' Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama student visiting friends on spring break, went missing during the early morning hours of March 17. He was last seen at the Shoko nightclub in the Port Olímpic area of Barcelona, Spain.
Read more »
‘Deeply concerned’: Fraternity issues statement on University of Alabama student missing in SpainJames Paul “Jimmy' Gracey, 20, was visiting friends in Barcelona while on spring break.
Read more »
Body of missing University of Alabama student found in Spain, reports sayGracey was a native of Illinois and went to the University of Alabama where he was a member of Theta Chi.
Read more »