Spanish authorities investigating the death of 20-year-old University of Alabama student James “Jimmy” Gracey who vanished after a night out with friends while on spring break in Barcelona are not currently pursuing criminal charges as officials await final toxicology results following a preliminary autopsy.
Officials shared an update on the case with Fox News Digital on Monday, the same day mourners gathered for a memorial mass for Gracey near his hometown in Chicago.
Mourners arrived Monday at the Church of the Holy Family in Chicago in memory of Gracey, who disappeared in Barcelona early Tuesday, March 17.
He had been partying in the city’s popular Shoko nightclub before disappearing. On Thursday, authorities pulled his body from the water in a nearby marina located just 500 feet away.
AUTHORITIES SHARE UPDATE ON CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND MISSING COLLEGE STUDENT JIMMY GRACEY’S DEATH
A preliminary autopsy pointed to Gracey’s death as likely due to an accident and did not show signs the college junior sustained any injuries leading up to his disappearance, according to local police.
“Everything points to an accidental death, although we are not disclosing details regarding how the events unfolded,” a spokesperson for the Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional Catalan police, previously said.
Given the findings, authorities have chosen not to pursue charges against any individuals in connection with Gracey’s death, a spokesperson for the Catalan High Court told Fox News Digital.
However, officials added that the investigation remains ongoing until a definite report and toxicology screening is submitted to the court – a process that could take up to three weeks.
The finalized report will determine if Gracey was poisoned or drugged before he fell into the water, though authorities have said that foul play is not believed to have played a role in the 20-year-old’s death.
Gracey’s wallet was found intact with money, credit cards and other documents, signifying he was likely not targeted, a police spokesperson previously confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Police sources have since said video showing Gracey walking alone toward the dock at Port Olimpic before falling in the water has been obtained by authorities, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
“We will not comment on other reports that may have appeared in the media,” a police spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital.
Gracey, a college junior, was visiting Barcelona with friends from Alabama’s chapter of the Theta Chi fraternity.
The group visited Shoko, a nightclub along the Mediterranean Sea, on Monday, March 16, for an evening of drinks and dancing.
The last known photo of Gracey shows him posing inside the club wearing a white T-shirt and a gold chain adorned with a rhinestone cross.
Fox News Digital is awaiting confirmation about whether Gracey’s jewelry was also recovered when his body was found.
The group departed the club around 3 a.m. Tuesday, but Gracey stayed behind and was last seen chatting with an American woman, according to local reports.
Authorities have not yet confirmed his movements after leaving. Gracey was reported missing the following morning after his friends woke up and noticed he had not returned to the group’s Airbnb along Ronda de Sant Pere, located about 1.5 miles from the popular nightclub.
His cellphone was later recovered after authorities arrested an unnamed individual known to authorities for previous charges, but officials determined the individual was not involved in Gracey’s disappearance and instead charged him with “illegal possession of another person’s belonging.”
