BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Auburn University student from Alabama who vanished during a family trip in Japan was found dead in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, his family said Saturday, ending a dayslong search that drew attention across the United States and abroad.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, of Hoover, disappeared May 29 while traveling with his parents and brother, according to family accounts reported by CBS News and ABC News. He was last seen leaving a train station in Kyoto and was believed to be headed toward a hiking trail, according to those reports.
The search quickly became an international story because it involved an Alabama college student missing in Japan, a public plea from his family, and coverage by major U.S. outlets as Japanese police and volunteers searched mountainous terrain near Kyoto. ABC News reported that Japanese authorities used police officers, dogs and a helicopter, while CBS News said the family later hired a professional rescue crew after officials said they were suspending their search.
Auburn University confirmed Higginbotham’s death in a statement, with President Christopher B. Roberts calling him a valued member of the Auburn family. Higginbotham’s mother wrote on Facebook that the family was grateful for the support and asked for privacy.
Japanese authorities have not released a cause of death, and the circumstances remain under investigation.