Suspicious video emerges after Alabama student vanishes on night out in Barcelona
James ‘Jimmy’ Paul Gracey vanished outside of a nightclub in Spain in the early hours of Tuesday morning (17 March).
The student from University of Alabama was visiting Barcelona from the US on a Spring Break trip.
As concerns grow around his disappearance, a suspicious video has emerged that appears to be the last trace of the 20-year-old.
His mum, Therese Gracey, issued an urgent post on Facebook on Tuesday as she explained he was travelling and visiting friends who are studying abroad.
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The pals had gone to famous Shoko nightclub but when his friends left at around 3am, James reportedly opted to stay behind. He was then reported missing when he didn’t show back up the next day. “The police have his phone but he never made it back to his air bnb,” Therese wrote.
And local reports now claim that foul play is suspected in the student’s disappearance.
A reporter for the Spanish newspaper El Periódico told CBS 42 that James was seen on surveillance footage at around 3am on Tuesday in which he was leaving the nightclub with an unidentified person.
This video hasn’t been made public and there are currently no persons of interest identified.
ABC 7 also reports that Spanish police have now said that James’ wallet has been found floating in the sea. Authorities are reportedly searching the area where this was discovered.
And CBS 42 reports that there are searches said to be underway across the nightlife neighbourhoods of the city as well as at the residence where the American was staying.
The lad’s worried friends and family say he would never typically go this long without making contact with them, unless there was something seriously wrong.
“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,” the family said in a statement.
A family member, Beth O’Reilly also told News Nation on Wednesday: “We’re doing the best we can, taking it minute by minute.
“We’re all just hanging together and doing the best we can to get his story out so people see his face, recognise his face, and if they know anything, that they’ll bring it to the authorities.”
The aunt added that they didn’t ‘have a lot of additional information’ and they were unsure whether his phone was ‘lost, stolen, whatever’.
“He’s a great student, honours student, chaplain in his fraternity. He’s a wonderful, loving son, big brother to a sister and three little brothers,” she added.
“The reason we’re so concerned: He does not have his phone, and he is not known to not be in touch with family and friends.”
Jess Battison