Friends, fraternity brothers remember Jimmy Gracey during memorial Mass at the University of Alabama
By Ayron Lewallen
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TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (WVTM) — Friends and fraternity brothers of Jimmy Gracey gathered in Tuscaloosa on Monday for a memorial Mass to honor and pray for the University of Alabama student whose body was found at sea near Barcelona last week.
Gracey’s Theta Chi fraternity brothers and Bama Catholic organized the service at St. Francis of Assisi University Parish on Alabama’s campus. Organizers said they ran out of printed programs to hand out and had to create a virtual version on the spot. Some feel that goes to show how much Gracey meant to this community.
“This tragic tragedy is really terrible for our entire school,” Kiersten Martin, a University of Alabama student, said. “As you can see, all the people behind me have also come here to celebrate Jimmy and the impact that he has made on their lives as well. I think we’re all growing together because of this, but overall, it’s awful, and we’re here to support each other in any way we can.”
As the campus continues to mourn, many say they’re holding tight to faith, to each other and to the memory of a young man who clearly left a mark.
“We didn’t know him personally, but we have close friends that did know of him, and it just breaks our heart,” Meagan Carney, an Alabama student, said. “Anything we can do to come here and support him and his family and be in the presence of the Lord.”
Members of the Theta Chi fraternity’s Alpha Phi chapter will also come together Tuesday for a private memorial vigil for Gracey, joined by selected speakers who will share memories of Gracey’s faith, life and legacy.
Many of Gracey’s fraternity brothers aided in search efforts until his body was found Thursday, the organization said.
An initial examination of the body indicates Gracey drowned, according to Spanish newspaper El Periodico.
It was done at the Institute of Legal Medicine of Catalonia. The examination revealed that the student had bruises from repeatedly hitting the rocks during the days between his disappearance and the discovery of his body.
Police believe that foul play has been ruled out and support the conclusion of a tragic accident.
The official autopsy results will determine whether he consumed alcohol or any other substances before falling into the water.
El Periodico states Gracey’s family is in Barcelona waiting for judicial authorization to take their son’s body home for burial in his hometown of Elmhurst, Illinois.
Security camera footage from Port Olímpic and witness accounts indicated he headed toward the water alone. Officers reviewed security camera footage, which captured the moment he fell into the sea, according to El Periodico.
Gracey’s death is still being investigated.
Police believe Jimmy left the nightclub with someone and are trying to figure out what prompted him to head toward Somorrostro Beach. Security camera footage shows him initially speaking with someone at the venue’s entrance before walking alone toward the coast.
Police also haven’t proven Jimmy’s phone was stolen, according to El Periodico. A patrol from the Municipal Guard found it in the possession of a habitual offender from Barcelona during a search early Tuesday morning. The man claimed he found it on the beach, and officers took it, although they have not linked him to the theft. The police managed to unlock the phone and that’s how they contacted Jimmy’s family.
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