BARCELONA, SPAIN — In the final moments before his death, American student Jimmy Gracey was sending panicked messages from inside a Barcelona nightclub, according to sources close to the investigation — messages that now stand in stark contrast to the official narrative of an accidental death.

Those texts, described by friends as urgent and distressed, are now being examined alongside newly reviewed CCTV footage from the area where his body was later found — footage that investigators say contains irregularities occurring approximately 27 minutes before his death.

Messages That Suggest Immediate Danger

Gracey’s friends say his tone shifted dramatically in the last messages he sent.

What began as casual communication quickly turned into what they describe as pleas for help, suggesting he felt he was in immediate danger inside the club.

“He wasn’t just uneasy — he was scared,” one friend said. “You could feel it in the way he was texting.”

Investigators are now analyzing the timestamps of those messages to determine how they align with his movements after leaving the venue.

The 27-Minute Gap — and the Footage That Doesn’t Align

At the same time, surveillance footage from near the recovery site has introduced a new layer of complexity.

According to sources, CCTV recorded activity in the area roughly 27 minutes before Gracey’s estimated time of death — but the sequence of events captured does not fully align with the current timeline.

Officials have not released the footage publicly, but confirm that it includes movements and patterns that require further examination.

“It’s not just what’s visible,” one investigator said. “It’s what doesn’t match.”

Irregularities Under Review

Authorities are now focusing on several key questions raised by the footage:

Who appears in the area during that time window
Whether any individuals can be linked to Gracey’s earlier movements
And whether the timing of events corresponds with forensic findings

The possibility that the location was active before Gracey’s arrival — or that others were present — is now part of the investigative scope.

A Timeline Under Strain

When viewed together, the messages and the footage are placing pressure on the original assumption that Gracey’s death was accidental.

If he was actively seeking help inside the club, and if unexplained activity occurred at the recovery site before his death, investigators must now determine whether those elements are connected.

“This is where timelines either hold — or break,” a source noted.

Family Demands Answers

For Gracey’s family, the developments are both devastating and clarifying.

“He was asking for help,” a relative said. “That alone should have changed everything.”

An Investigation Reexamined

Authorities have not formally reclassified the case but confirm that all new evidence — including digital communications and surveillance footage — is under active review.

As investigators continue to reconstruct Gracey’s final hour, one question remains at the center:

If Jimmy Gracey was in danger — who saw it, and what happened in those 27 minutes no one can fully explain?