A routine spring break trip to Europe has taken a deeply troubling turn for 20-year-old University of Alabama student James Gracey also known as Jimmy.
The search for a student in Spain has taken a worrying turn after one of his belongings was found in the sea.
Wallet discovered floating near the club
Police said on Thursday that Gracey’s wallet was found floating in the sea near Somorrostro beach, just a short distance from the Shoko nightclub where he was last seen. The wallet was found on Wednesday by a Catalan police team that was searching the water to check if he had gone into the sea after leaving the club. However, the search did not find any sign of him, and a source told CNN the results were “negative.”
What do we know so far?
James, who is 20 and was last seen around 3am outside the Shoko nightclub in Barcelona. He was visiting friends who were studying there for spring break. He went out with them on Monday night but never returned to his Airbnb.
A reporter Gisela Macedo told CBS 42 that police checked CCTV footage from outside the club. The video shows Jimmy leaving with another person. Because of this, police now think foul play may be involved in his disappearance.
Investigators have reviewed surveillance footage from the nightclub, which showed that Gracey did not leave alone, according to El Periodico. However, authorities have not been able to confirm who he was with, leading them to consider possible foul play.
According to Fox News reports, Gracey was talking to a brown-haired American woman before he disappeared.
So far, no suspects have been identified.
Jimmy Gracey: Cops say ‘foul play’ as Alabama student goes missing in Barcelona; family opens up
His phone found but questions remain unanswered
Investigators also located Gracey’s phone during the probe. Family spokesperson Noreen Heron said the phone was recovered when police arrested another individual.
However, Gracey’s aunt, Beth O’Reilly, said it is still unclear what happened to it.
“We don’t know whether it was lost, stolen, whatever,” she told NewsNation. “Beyond that, we don’t have a lot of additional information right now.”
The search for James Gracey is still ongoing as police continue to investigate his disappearance. For now, many questions remain unanswered as his family and friends wait for updates.
