Missing Auburn student found dead in Japan, mother says

An Alabama student who went missing in Japan while traveling with his family has been found dead, his mother said in a social media post on Saturday, June 6. It had been more than a week since he was last seen.

James “Weston” Higginbotham was found by a volunteer search and rescue team in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, Japan, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said.

“It is impossible to put into words the pain we are experiencing,” he said. “We are forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but we cannot fathom what life would be like without him.”

The 20-year-old Auburn University student was last seen May 29 during a family outing to celebrate her younger brother’s high school graduation, Nancy Higginbotham previously told USA TODAY. The family was supposed to leave Japan on June 4, but the trip was extended due to Higginbotham’s disappearance.

Local police sent helicopters and volunteer search teams to begin a search in the rugged terrain. Nancy Higginbotham has previously said her son can be emotionally distressed and is an “experienced hiker.”

“We are deeply grateful to the countless people in the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and assisted in the search efforts. The kindness and support provided carried us through the darkest days of our lives,” Nancy Higginbotham said. he said.

What happened in the Auburn student’s disappearance?

Higginbotham was last with his family at around 18:30 local time on May 29, after the family had dinner at a restaurant shortly after arriving in Kyoto. They had been traveling together for six days at that point and decided to take some space, Nancy Higginbotham told USA TODAY.

He said it could be troublesome because of the long journey and strife. Higginbotham, who went to see a temple with her husband and young son, stayed at the family’s hotel.

Previously: ‘Experiencing hell.’ Mother describes Auburn student’s disappearance in Japan

Police discovered that Higginbotham had boarded the train and arrived at a station in the Yamashina district and lost cell phone signal around 8:30pm that day, his mother said in a post on Facebook. At this point, he said, he headed towards the hiking trails.

The search included local officials, and Alabama state Reps. Mike Shaw and Susan DuBose said they were in contact with the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Birmingham, Alabama, which is affiliated with the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta. Nancy Higginbotham shared updates about the search on social media, saying the search involved very steep and rugged terrain.

Higginbotham’s cause of death was not disclosed on June 6.

What happened today? We make the long story short with this quick news recap

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Credit: Saleen Martin and Anthony Thompson, USA TODAY

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Missing student James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham found dead, mum says