Authorities are exploring the possibility that University of Alabama student Jimmy Gracey was drugged prior to his tragic fall into the sea off the Spanish coast.
While Barcelona police have officially stated that the 20-year-old’s death appears accidental, they privately suspect that he may have been under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both at the time of his drowning, a source revealed to Fox News Digital.
Interestingly, Gracey’s wallet, discovered floating nearby, was intact with his money, credit cards, and identification still inside, according to the report.
Investigators are holding off on closing the case until they can resolve several outstanding issues, including the completion of the student’s autopsy and toxicology reports, the source noted.
Gracey spent the final hours before his death at a bustling nightclub with friends, raising the theory that he might have been drugged, consumed drugs willingly, or drank excessively, leading to disorientation.
An insider connected to law enforcement also provided insights into the person arrested for taking Gracey’s phone, explaining that the individual claimed to have found the phone lying on the street and decided to pick it up.
Police do not believe the man, who had a history of prior thefts, had any direct contact with Gracey, the source said, according to the report.
Evidence points to “an accidental death,” investigators said Friday before declined to share additional details on the tragedy.
The student’s body was found the day prior in 13-foot-deep water off Port Olímpic, near where Gracey was last seen leaving Shôko nightclub around 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Gracey vanished after being separated from his friends in the clu,b and was reported missing when he failed to return to their Airbnb about two miles away in Ronda de Sant Pere.
He was last seen alive by a person who reportedly saw him walking toward the rocky coastline, close to the beachfront club.
Authorities once suspected foul play, but an official ruling likely won’t come until autopsy results are finalized in the coming weeks.
“Jimmy was a deeply loved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend, and our family is struggling to come to terms with this unimaginable loss,” his devastated family wrote in a statement.
Gracey – who went by Jimmy, and had traveled to the Spanish city to visit friends who were studying abroad – was the chaplain of the Alpha Phi Chapter of the Theta Chi Fraternity.
