The parents of a missing American college student who vanished on a family vacation to Japan have revealed a devastating update. James 'Weston' Higginbotham, 20, a University of Auburn student, was found dead on Saturday, seven days after he wandered off alone while in Kyoto, Japan.
Heartbreaking Discovery
'Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,' his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, wrote in a devastating Facebook post. 'We are forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but cannot begin to understand what life without him will be like.'
She expressed deep gratitude to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston's story, prayed for their family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts. 'The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives. We shared our story here and in the media in the hope of finding Weston. We now ask for privacy as we begin to navigate this unimaginable loss.'
A cause of death has not yet been released.
Details of the Disappearance
Weston separated from his family to explore the city of Kyoto on May 29 while his parents and brother visited a nearby temple. The Higginbothams arrived in Japan on May 22 for a family vacation to celebrate his younger brother Grayson's graduation from high school. Weston reportedly left his family around 6pm on Friday, May 29, after a disagreement with his mother over her use of ChatGPT during their trip. He told his family he needed some time alone.
He was last seen on CCTV footage at a train station. The family officially reported him missing after his location was turned off in the Life360 app. 'It's not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring. That's his happy place,' Mrs Higginbotham said. The family believes he went on a solo hike after taking a train to nearby Yamashina, roughly a five-minute ride from Kyoto Station. He left with about $US62 on him and his phone battery at 34 per cent. He stopped at a few stores while out on his own, with his last known purchase at a Kohnan hardware store, before getting back on the train.
Search Efforts
Early on Saturday, Weston's parents shared an update in their search for the 20-year-old college student on social media, asking for prayers as they searched a 'very dense' wooded area where he was reportedly last seen. 'Today we are meeting some amazing volunteers,' Mrs Higginbotham said in a video shared to Instagram. She added that the family and a group of volunteers were going to 'search the woods that the police did not search.' She also noted that Japanese police had 'concluded' their search for Weston in that particular area after 72 hours of searching, though they continued looking in other ways.
Police had been searching the Yamashina Mountains in the days following Weston's disappearance, employing helicopters, police and K9 units to search the heavily wooded area where he was reportedly last seen. 'Weston is missing in the woods and we will find him,' Mrs Higginbotham vowed. 'We're not search and rescue professionals. We're going to do our best to work with everyone to cover the areas the police department didn't cover,' Weston's father said in the video. 'There's a large area still left to cover. I went out yesterday and hiked about eight miles just to get a good lay of the land.' He described the landscape as 'rough' and 'steep,' with thick vegetation and steep slopes. 'We're gonna chip away at it little by little and work with some of these professional companies to try to cover this area as quickly as we can.'
The update came after Mrs Higginbotham revealed on Friday that the family had been given 'permission to launch our own search party in Shiga.' She shared a new map pinpointing the search area in Kyoto's Yamashina mountains with a large red circle. Authorities were reviewing more CCTV footage after reports that Weston was possibly seen at another train station. The search was also impacted by a typhoon in the area, which made the terrain even more difficult to search. On Thursday, Mrs Higginbotham said that dozens of local authorities continued their search through waist-deep mud.
Family's Grief
'My grandson is very knowledgeable of the woods, and he camps, and all that. This is not like my Weston,' his grandmother Judith Higginbotham told The US Sun. She confirmed Weston was a nature lover and experienced outdoorsman, insisting his disappearance was out of character for him. The family is now grieving the loss of their beloved Weston, whose tragic end has brought a close to a week-long search that captured international attention.
