Home / Crime and Justice / US Student Vanishes During Barcelona Spring Break
US Student Vanishes During Barcelona Spring Break
19 Mar
Summary
- American student James Gracey last seen near Barcelona club.
- His phone was stolen and later recovered by police.
- Authorities are actively investigating his disappearance.
James "Jimmy" Gracey, a 20-year-old University of Alabama student, is missing in Spain after a night out in Barcelona during his spring break. He was last seen by a friend near the Shoko club on Barceloneta Beach around 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday. His mother reported him missing when he did not return to his rental accommodation that morning.
Catalan police, Mossos d'Esquadra, are investigating Gracey's disappearance. His mother confirmed that police recovered his phone, which had been stolen. The US State Department has stated it cannot provide further details due to privacy concerns. Gracey, who is from Elmhurst, Illinois, was visiting friends studying abroad.
Gracey is described as about 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, and was wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a gold rhinestone cross chain on Monday night. He is scheduled to fly back to the United States on Saturday. The University of Alabama is in contact with Gracey's family, offering assistance. His uncle, David Gracey, who is a CNN senior producer, highlighted his nephew's responsible nature and involvement in campus activities, including his role as chaplain and philanthropy chairman for his Theta Chi fraternity chapter.
This incident echoes the disappearance of another US college student, Sudiksha Konanki, who vanished in the Dominican Republic during spring break last year and remains missing. The US State Department offers guidance for international travel safety and advises contacting local police and the Overseas Citizens Services office if a US citizen friend or relative becomes unreachable abroad.
