James Paul Gracey, a University of Alabama student who disappeared Tuesday from a Barcelona nightclub, was found dead, police in Spain said Thursday.
His body was found at Somorrostro Beach around 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, Catalan police told NBC News.
University of Alabama student missing in Barcelona
Gracey, a junior accounting major, was last seen at Shoko, a beachfront nightclub in Villa Olimpica, his parents, Taras and Therese Gracey, said in a statement.
Gracey was wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a chain with a gold rhinestone cross when he went missing.
Cavin McLay, the president of the university’s Theta Chi fraternity, said Gracey was with a group at the club and they got separated, “and that was the last time they saw him.”
McLay said he is in Barcelona, but is not staying with the same group of friends as Gracey was. He said about 10 people were in Barcelona visiting a few fraternity members who are studying abroad.
Michael J. Mayer, the CEO of Theta Chi Fraternity, said in a Thursday statement that the fraternity was mourning Gracey's death.
"Jimmy served his chapter as both Chaplain and as a Philanthropy Chairman," Mayer said. "These roles reflected who he was at his core: a young man of deep faith, genuine care for others, and an abiding commitment to his brothers and his community."
Police in Barcelona said they had received a call about a possible disappearance of a person who went missing around 3 a.m. Tuesday in the Port Olímpic area. His aunt, Beth Marren O’Reilly, told NBC News that Gracey’s parents became concerned after they received a “phone call that his phone was picked up.”
Gracey was from the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst. The university said he was on a personal trip when he disappeared.
"The University of Alabama community is heartbroken to learn of the death of Jimmy Gracey," it said in a statement Thursday. "Jimmy’s loss is deeply felt across our campus. Our condolences are with the Gracey family during this devastating time."
Gracey graduated in 2023 from Saint Ignatius College Prep of Chicago, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and Latin Honor Society. He was a third-generation graduate, following in the footsteps of his mother, grandfather and great-uncles.
"During his four years at Saint Ignatius, Jimmy was fully engaged in the life of the school as a scholar and an athlete," Saint Ignatius College Prep said Thursday. "He was an integral member of both the lacrosse and hockey programs and was known for his strong character, loyalty, and the way he showed up for his teammates and friends."
