Auburn student – James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was found dead in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, Japan, his mother announced June 6. Police say no foul play is suspected, while the cause of death has not been released. The Auburn community and local leaders are mourning a
For more than a week, the updates came in bursts—posts, pleas, and frantic details shared as James “Weston” Higginbotham’s family tried to find him in Japan.
On June 6. his mother. Nancy Higginbotham. posted that he had been found in a “mountainous area outside of Kyoto.” The confirmation landed with a sudden finality after the last day her son was seen overseas. a community now left to grieve the son she had described as a well-traveled. avid hiker with a “heart of gold.”.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was found outside Kyoto, Japan, his mother said. He was a junior studying engineering at Auburn University. In her announcement on social media. Nancy Higginbotham said the grief “we feel is impossible to put into words.” She added that she is “forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet. precious Weston. ” but cannot yet understand “what life without him will be like.”.
Kyoto police told CNN that no foul play is suspected, but they would not release Higginbotham’s cause of death.
What authorities and the family have pieced together
Higginbotham was last seen by his family on May 29, at about 6:30 p.m. local time. They had been traveling together for six days when they ate at a restaurant shortly after arriving in Kyoto and then decided to get some space. Nancy Higginbotham previously described to USA TODAY how. while she went with her husband and her younger son to see a temple. her son stayed at the family’s hotel.
She said she believed he may have been distressed by the length of the trip and bickering.
Police determined Higginbotham got on a train and arrived at a station in the Yamashina area. He lost cell signal at about 8:30 p.m. that day, his mother said in posts on Facebook. From there, he headed toward hiking trails, she said.
As the hours stretched into days, the search widened. Family and community members documented the effort online and repeatedly called for information.
The search grew into days of help on the ground
According to the family. dozens of police officers. search dogs and helicopters were used during the search through heavily wooded terrain. On the seventh day after her son’s disappearance. Nancy Higginbotham asked hikers. trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts to assist in searching areas beyond those already covered by authorities.
The family was in Japan to celebrate the younger son’s high school graduation, Nancy Higginbotham previously told USA TODAY. They had planned to leave Japan on June 4 but extended their stay because of the search.
Local leaders and the Auburn community react
News of Higginbotham’s death struck close to home in Alabama.
Hoover. Alabama Mayor Nick Derzis said in a social media statement that the city is “heartbroken.” Derzis wrote that Weston was “a young man of remarkable character. ” a Hoover native. a Spain Park High School graduate. and an Auburn University student. He said Weston had “a deep love for the outdoors and the world around him. ” adding that “He touched everyone who knew him. His loss is a tragedy felt across our entire community.”.
Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts offered condolences to Weston Higginbotham’s loved ones in a statement. Roberts said, “The Auburn Family mourns this heartbreaking loss and holds Weston’s family, friends and loved ones close in our thoughts during this incredibly difficult time.”
Alabama State Rep. Mike Shaw said he was “shaken” by the news. Shaw said he had been in touch with the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Birmingham, Alabama amid the search. In his statement on social media. Shaw said. “Oh. how we all hoped for a different outcome. ” and that “What should be a time of joy is now one of unimaginable sadness.”.
The unanswered questions remain
Police have not released the cause of death, and it is still not clear how Higginbotham died, leaving a final, devastating uncertainty after the search ended.
The timeline—May 29 last being seen after the family ate at a restaurant. a train ride to the Yamashina area. loss of cell signal around 8:30 p.m. and then days of searching—has now been replaced by mourning. But the gaps in what happened after the cell signal went silent are exactly what families and communities often cannot bear: the sense that something is over. while the explanation is still out of reach.
Auburn University James Weston Higginbotham Kyoto police Japan travel missing student Hoover Alabama Nancy Higginbotham engineering student Yamashina
This is so sad. Prayers for his family.
No foul play suspected but they won’t say cause of death… okay so what’s the point then? I’m guessing it was something random like weather or an accident on the hike.
Wait “mountainous area outside Kyoto” like was he even trying to find a temple trail or something? I saw other posts say he went missing after May 29 and then boom June 6. Tragic either way, but it makes me mad they’re withholding details.
Auburn engineering student in Japan and then found dead… sounds like one of those safety failures. They say no foul play so people will just move on, but honestly the university should’ve had tighter checks or whatever. Also why couldn’t his family get him back quicker? Just heartbreaking.