Found Deceased Spain - James “Jimmy” Gracey - UA Student from Chicago - Barcelona - 17 March 2026

[MinnyPin]

University of Alabama student last seen at 3am while vacationing in Barcelona. Didn’t arrive at B&B last night. Police have his phone but it’s not clear how they got it.

College student from Chicago suburbs reported missing in Barcelona

A University of Alabama student from the Chicago suburbs has been reported missing while visiting friends in Barcelona, family told NBC Chicago.

www.nbcchicago.com

 

[nightowl1975]

University of Alabama student last seen at 3am while vacationing in Barcelona. Didn’t arrive at B&B last night. Police have his phone but it’s not clear how they got it.

College student from Chicago suburbs reported missing in Barcelona

A University of Alabama student from the Chicago suburbs has been reported missing while visiting friends in Barcelona, family told NBC Chicago.

www.nbcchicago.com

I always think of whatever body of water is nearby when it comes to post-club missing college men. Hopefully he’s found safe soon.

 

[MassGuy]

I always think of whatever body of water is nearby when it comes to post-club missing college men. Hopefully he’s found safe soon.

That's where my mind goes too. I really want to know where his phone was found, and if the answer is "on the beach," then that is very bad.

 

[Officer Dibble]

I always think of whatever body of water is nearby when it comes to post-club missing college men. Hopefully he’s found safe soon.

My first thought too. His poor family must be frantic with worry.

 

[GraceG]

The local Chicago news didn't have any new information this morning but here is a google map of where the nightclub was he was last seen at 3 a.m. and the surrounding area. Looks like more than just beach, but piers, docks and other structures.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

The club is open as a restaurant until m,idnight, but the nightclub part is open to 6 a.m. so perhaps he left his phone there, thinking he would be returning shortly. I'm not sure how else the police would have it. Shôko Barcelona

 

[CHEL]

I read that his phone was found with someone else so they think it was stolen or he was pick pocketed. Can't find a link but this is what his mom posted.

 

[bluevioletfour]

In MOO this isn't going to end well. You've got a young college person, probably inebriated, foreign country, at a club that is probably targeted by low-life individuals. To hear that they have a person who coincidentally has the student's phone, doesn't bode well. This is every parent's nightmare.

 

[vereb]

Pick-pocketing is super common in tourist areas in Barcelona and if he was inebriated, he would be even more vulnerable to it than usual. Doesn't necessarily mean the stolen phone (if that's what it is) is in connection with the disappearance. The best case to hope for is that he took off with someone of the appropriate sex to spend some time, and just doesn't have a way to contact anyone about his whereabouts.

 

[GraceG]

The reporting is more widespead now as the stor is being shared. Some updates: from msm Facebook
His Airbnb was on Ronda de Sant Pere. 145K views · 867 reactions | A University of Alabama student from the Chicago suburbs has been reported missing while visiting friends in Barcelona, Spain, family told NBC Chicago. Jimmy Gracey, who is from Elmhurst, was last seen by a friend at around 3 a.m. Tuesday at Shôko, a beachfront nightclub, relatives said in a social media post. In a Facebook post, Gracey's mother said he didn't return to the bed and breakfast where he was staying. #chicago #missingperson #elmhurst #missing #barcelona | NBC Chicago
Unverified Info from search updates on FB: Alledgedly the phone was recovered during an UNRELATED arrest of an individual by police. (pickpocket perhaps??)

 

[MassGuy]

Pick-pocketing is super common in tourist areas in Barcelona and if he was inebriated, he would be even more vulnerable to it than usual. Doesn't necessarily mean the stolen phone (if that's what it is) is in connection with the disappearance. The best case to hope for is that he took off with someone of the appropriate sex to spend some time, and just doesn't have a way to contact anyone about his whereabouts.

Exactly. The issue now is the too much time has passed for that to be much of realistic possibility. College student missing at a bar near water...

 

[adot0902]

The reporting is more widespead now as the stor is being shared. Some updates: from msm Facebook
His Airbnb was on Ronda de Sant Pere. 145K views · 867 reactions | A University of Alabama student from the Chicago suburbs has been reported missing while visiting friends in Barcelona, Spain, family told NBC Chicago. Jimmy Gracey, who is from Elmhurst, was last seen by a friend at around 3 a.m. Tuesday at Shôko, a beachfront nightclub, relatives said in a social media post. In a Facebook post, Gracey's mother said he didn't return to the bed and breakfast where he was staying. #chicago #missingperson #elmhurst #missing #barcelona | NBC Chicago
Unverified Info from search updates on FB: Alledgedly the phone was recovered during an UNRELATED arrest of an individual by police. (pickpocket perhaps??)

I find I am struggling to believe Barcelona police arrested a pickpocket for simply being a pickpocket. There was some reason the person with the phone was arrested and I am very curious to know the reason.

 

[MassGuy]

I find I am struggling to believe Barcelona police arrested a pickpocket for simply being a pickpocket. There was some reason the person with the phone was arrested and I am very curious to know the reason.

It’s possible his parents gave the phone number to police, and they were able to ping it and track down the thief.

This would obviously change depending on how fast this occurred. We need more info.

 

[Hanoi2009]

Am just joining now. Live in the Chicago area and know someone who lives in Elmhurst and knows Jimmy from when he was little. There are obviously all sorts of threads swirling among neighbors. Supposedly there is a tradition of this bar closing and then everyone rushing to the beach. Also, there are reports of an altercation at the bar/after it closed. The local worries are that he was injured in the fight, injured and pushed into the water, injured and left somewhere. JMO

 

[BettyHaynes]

Update after CCTV footage was reviewed:

https://www.cbs42.com/news/missing/...aG75v_peDFW0WyIEsW_aem_9gv8GluS3YLe_uNXdRNTbg

 

[MassGuy]

Update after CCTV footage was reviewed:

https://www.cbs42.com/news/missing/...aG75v_peDFW0WyIEsW_aem_9gv8GluS3YLe_uNXdRNTbg

Ok, that changes things.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Police now suspect foul play in the disappearance of a University of Alabama student who has gone missing in Spain, according to local media covering the case.

In an interview with CBS 42, Gisela Macedo, a reporter for El Periódico in Barcelona, said that the Mossos d’Esquadra police force have looked at CCTV footage showing James “Jimmy” Paul Gracey outside Shôko, a restaurant and club located in Olympic Village, at approximately 3 a.m. Tuesday. Macedo said that based on the footage, which has not been released to the public, Gracey left the club with someone else, leading authorities to suspect that foul play was involved in his disappearance.

 

[Hanoi2009]

I don't know if I'm allowed to post this or not, but I'll assume the mods will tell me, if not. New update from the local friend group: allegedly he met an American girl at the bar who was not from their friend group, and they were hitting it off. He left with the girl to walk on the beach. It is getting back here from some of the kids there that he was supposedly jumped. My friend said that the chain he wears is a thick gold chain with a beautiful diamond cross. You can see it in pics that have been posted. People are theorizing here that maybe he was targeted as part of a robbery. This is all clearly speculation based on reports from the kids there. JMOOOOOO

 

[Deepinthought52]

He was wearing a what appears in pics to he a gold chain… wonder if that or any other items like wallet have been found. Also curious to know at what point the friends left, etc…

 

[EJB123456]

Dear God.

Not only was I in Barcelona last week with three of my college aged children, but two of them went to Shoko, stayed out all night, and one got his wallet stolen.

I was anxious before they went out, I was anxious the next morning, I was FURIOUS with them for breaking every rule I set (stay together, don’t drink too much, come back before your cell phone dies, etc) and THIS IS WHY.

I am quite literally beside myself right now.

 

[MassGuy]

Dear God.

Not only was I in Barcelona last week with three of my college aged children, but two of them went to Shoko, stayed out all night, and one got his wallet stolen.

I was anxious before they went out, I was anxious the next morning, I was FURIOUS with them for breaking every rule I set (stay together, don’t drink too much, come back before your cell phone dies, etc) and THIS IS WHY.

I am quite literally beside myself right now.

I can’t fault them on what they did, (literally me at that age), but this is why the buddy system is so important.

 

[Deepinthought52]

I’m dubious about this whole robbery thing. I can see it happening, but I can’t see him being dumped in the ocean or something.

I feel like the pickpocket incident could be separate from a solo guy getting to intoxicated on whatever then going into the water… it has sadly hapoened over and over again here in various cities with young men in similar age group. Back in the day we always had a pact come together leave together, but i can imagine if environment felt exciting, new, safe, that a young person today could get complacent then have things turn south one way or another pretty quickly. Jmo