BARCELONA — Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that 20-year-old University of Alabama student Jimmy Gracey was drugged before he fell to his death off the Spanish coast, even as Barcelona police publicly maintain the drowning was accidental.

While authorities have described the incident as a tragic mishap, sources close to the investigation told Fox News Digital that officers privately suspect Gracey may have been under the influence of drugs, alcohol — or a combination of both — when he drowned in the waters near Port Olímpic. The student’s wallet was later recovered floating nearby, still containing his cash, credit cards, and identification, offering no immediate signs of robbery.

Officials are now waiting for several key “loose ends” to be resolved before officially closing the case, including the results of Gracey’s autopsy and full toxicology screening, which could take weeks. A source with direct ties to the police investigation emphasized that these pending tests are critical to determining exactly what happened in the final hours of the young man’s life.

Gracey had spent the evening at the popular Shôko nightclub with friends before the tragedy unfolded. One leading theory among investigators is that he may have been slipped a drug, voluntarily taken something himself, or consumed enough alcohol to become severely disoriented. He was last seen alive around 3 a.m. Tuesday, walking alone toward the rocky coastline after becoming separated from his group at the beachfront club.

His body was discovered the following day in approximately 13 feet of water just off Port Olímpic — the same area where he had been spotted heading toward the sea. Friends reported him missing after he failed to return to their Airbnb apartment roughly two miles away on Ronda de Sant Pere.

In a new detail shared by the insider, police arrested a man for pocketing Gracey’s phone, which was found lying on the street. The suspect, who has a prior history of theft offenses, claimed he simply picked up the device after discovering it abandoned. Authorities do not believe he had any direct contact with Gracey and have ruled him out as a suspect in the student’s death.

Although foul play was initially considered, investigators stated Friday that the accumulating evidence strongly points to an accidental drowning. They declined to release further specifics pending the final autopsy report.

Gracey, who went by Jimmy, had traveled to Barcelona to visit friends who were studying abroad. A beloved member of the University of Alabama community, he served as chaplain of the Alpha Phi Chapter of the Theta Chi Fraternity.

In a heartfelt statement, his devastated family said: “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.”

The case has sent shockwaves through the Alabama campus and the tight-knit fraternity community, where Gracey was remembered as a compassionate leader and dedicated student. As Barcelona authorities await the scientific results that will provide final clarity, Gracey’s loved ones are left grappling with the sudden void left by a young man whose bright future was cut short in a foreign city far from home.