Search continues for missing University of Alabama student James Gracey

BARCELONA, Spain — A night at a club in Barcelona has turned into a missing persons case. The family of James Gracey is now looking for answers.

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Gracey, 20, was last seen at a beachfront nightclub in Villa Olimpica on March 17, his parents told NBC News. He had been with friends at the Shoko club but had been separated from them, WBMA reported.

James Gracey, a 20-year-old junior at the University of Alabama, was last seen by a friend around 3 a.m. local time Tuesday outside Barcelona’s Shoko club on popular Barceloneta Beach, relatives said in a statement.https://t.co/jiSzhI6Udf pic.twitter.com/6SAs7onFvF
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 18, 2026

“That was the last time we’ve heard from him,” fraternity brother Cavin McLay said. Gracey is a member of the Theta Chi fraternity and is the chapter’s chaplain and philanthropy chairman.

He did not return to the short-term rental, his mother Therese Gracey said on Facebook.

Gracey is from Elmhurst, Illinois, outside of Chicago and is a junior at the University of Alabama. He was in Spain to visit friends who are studying in Europe, CNN reported.

A statement from the family said, “Jimmy is a kind, responsible, and devoted son and brother. It is completely out of character for him not to check in with family and friends.”

Police said they were informed about a person’s possible disappearance around 3 a.m. Tuesday in the Port Olímpic area.

His parents were told that his phone had been found, NBC News. CNN and Fox News reported that police said it had been stolen, and they recovered the device during the arrest of another person. Spain’s newspaper El Periódico, however, said police have not confirmed or denied they have the phone.

The Mossos d’Esquadra’s aquatic unit searched the water near where he was last seen, but no details were officially provided.

The nightclub also gave police security video from the time when James Gracey disappeared, according to WBBM. El Periódico said that police do not believe he left the club alone, but they have not identified who was with him.

The U.S. State Department did not give details on the case, citing “privacy concerns and other considerations,” and police did not give any details on their investigation.

The university said that while James Gracey was on a personal trip, the school told CNN, staff are in touch with the family and those associated with them to offer support and assistance in any way possible.”