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Published 16:14 16 Dec 2022 GMT
The American student who mysteriously disappeared while studying abroad in France has been found alive, according to his father.
Ken DeLand Jr., 22, had been missing for two weeks, with his disappearance sparking an international missing person search.
He was last spotted on December 3 on security footage while shopping in the town of Montélimar - about 87 miles from Grenoble - the city where he was studying.
His family across the pond had been expecting the worst until today when he was discovered alive while his father was taking part in an interview about his disappearance.
On Friday (December 16), his father, Ken DeLand Sr., was providing an interview with CNN when he suddenly hung up the phone. He called the news outlet back later with "good news" for the broadcasters and revealed that his son was alive.
"He is alive, that's all I can say," the DeLand Sr. said, after previously revealing that he had not heard from his son since November 27.
During the call with CNN, DeLand Sr. did not elaborate on his conversation with his son and provided no details on his whereabouts for the past two weeks.
However, French Prosecutor Eric Vaillant confirmed on Twitter that DeLand Jr. is currently in Spain, and added that the student had only spoken with his parents.
The senior - who attends St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York - went missing while studying abroad this semester at the University of Grenoble Alpes, which is 75 miles southeast of Lyon in eastern France.
Deland Jr. had planned to graduate in May next year with a major in psychology and pre-law. He was also expected back in the US this Saturday (December 17) following the end of his semester and the expiration of his visa.
His family began searching for him after learning from the school that he had gone missing at the end of last month. A woman who had acted as a host for DeLand Jr. while he was in the country told his family that he may have just left willingly.
French legal authorities expressed the same possibility in the early stages of the search, however, his parents disagreed with that idea and continued to raise awareness about his missing status after failing to hear from him.
"For him to not reach out, with no correspondence, this is very uncharacteristic of my son," DeLand Sr. told the broadcaster. "This is what creates all that worry that any parents could ever feel."
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Published 11:50 04 Jun 2026 GMT
Published 15:23 14 Jun 2026 GMT
The mother of an American college student who was found dead in a remote Japanese mountain range has shared an emotional update.
James "Weston" Higginbotham, 20, was discovered on June 6 after a week-long search in the mountains outside Kyoto.
Now, one week after his body was located, Weston's mother, Nancy Higginbotham, has opened up about the family's loss following the tragedy.
"We leave Japan today with an immense amount of pain, but with gratitude in our hearts for the support that the Japanese citizens and friends, government, and businesses have shown us," she wrote on Facebook on Thursday (June 11).
"We are forever grateful to you all for your love, prayers, and support," she added.
The Auburn University student had travelled to Japan with his parents and younger brother Grayton on May 22 to celebrate Grayton's high school graduation.
According to his family, Weston disappeared on May 30 after deciding to spend some time alone in Kyoto while the rest of the family visited a temple.
"It's not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring," Nancy previously explained. "That's his happy place."
Family members later used location data from the Life360 app to trace some of his final movements. Weston was carrying around $62 and had just 34 percent battery remaining on his phone when he left.
He was later seen on surveillance footage at a train station on the outskirts of Kyoto before his phone lost signal.
When he stopped responding to calls and messages, his family reported him missing at around 2AM, and this led to an extensive search involving police, rescue teams, volunteers, and K9 units.
The search was complicated by dense woodland, difficult mountain terrain, and intense weather conditions caused by a typhoon.
The heartbreaking search ended when a volunteer search-and-rescue team located Weston in the Higashiyama mountain range.
Authorities have since confirmed that no foul play is suspected, but they will not release the cause of death.
In another emotional Facebook post shared this week, Nancy detailed plans for Weston's funeral, which will be held in Birmingham on June 17.
She also paid tribute to her son's adventurous spirit and passion for protecting the environment.
"He was so kind and loved his family and friends and felt most grounded in nature," she wrote. "James 'Weston' Higginbotham lit up every room with his charismatic smile."
"He was passionate about protecting the environment and was dedicating his life to sustainability. A proud vegan and environmental enthusiast, he rarely went anywhere without his reusable water bottle and fork, always trying to reduce waste and live intentionally," she added.
The mom described her beloved son as someone who loved outdoor adventures, from mountain biking and skiing to hiking some of the world's most famous trails.
"Weston had an adventurous spirit whether it was skiing fearlessly right up to the point of wiping out, hitting big jumps on his mountain bike, or hiking Yosemite, the Pyrenees Mountains, Camino de Santiago, and the Swiss Alps," she penned. "If there was sunshine and outdoor adventure to be had, he was there."
She added: "In his family, Weston was the adventure leader and his family followed without reservation knowing he researched the best camping spot, hidden overlook, or the most authentic restaurant and could navigate most often with only a paper map."
To honor his memory, the family is establishing the James "Weston" Higginbotham Endowed Scholarship Fund for ecological engineering at Auburn University.
"To honor Weston's memory, take a walk at a state park, eat a vegan meal this week, stop and admire the sunset, tell those close to you how much you love them, and reduce the noise in your life," Nancy wrote.
"In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the James 'Weston' Higginbotham Endowed Scholarship fund for ecological engineering at Auburn University."
As tributes continue to pour in, one unanswered text message from Weston's childhood friend Hiyu Shikari has become especially heartbreaking.
The pair had reunited in Tokyo just days before Weston disappeared. After hearing a typhoon was approaching Kyoto, Hiyu reached out to check on his friend.
"Good evening! How's the stay going? Hopefully yall are having a good time in Kyoto! Lmk if you need me to recommend you any places," he wrote. The message was never answered.
Following confirmation of Weston's death, Hiyu said: "I would just like to say let Weston rest in peace in heaven, and my deepest condolences to his family. He was such a wonderful friend, and I am truly heartbroken that their trip had turned out this way."
Published 08:55 07 Jun 2026 GMT
After the body of a student who went missing while on a family holiday in Japan was found, his best friend has revealed the last text messages he sent.
Auburn University student, James 'Weston' Higginbotham, 20, had embarked on the trip of a lifetime, exploring Kyoto, with his family last month. He went missing one day after setting out alone to explore Japan’s mountainous region.
Weston was last spotted at Kyoto station at around 6PM on May 29. He remained missing for over a week as public appeals and searches took place.
Tragically, the young man’s mom, Nancy Higginbotham, shared an update no parent should ever have to write on June 6.
She wrote on Facebook: "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.
"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."
Nancy continued the post, thanking those who partook in the search, saying: "We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our 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."
On May 22, just a few days before Weston went missing, he and his family met up with his friend Hiyu Shikari, who had recently relocated to Japan after going to school with Weston.
Recalling the time they spent together to The US Sun, Hiyu shared: "We had such a great time at a restaurant in Shinjuku, which is in Tokyo.
"Right after that, I tried to contact him on how he was doing in Kyoto, because I was in Kyoto a couple of weeks ago, and also the typhoon was coming as I was kind of worried, and I messaged him, ‘How’s the trip going?’
“And that was after he went missing. And so I didn’t get any contact with him after I met him."
His final text to Weston read: "Good evening! How’s the stay going? Hopefully yall are having a good time in Kyoto! Lmk [Let me know] if you need me to recommend you any places [sic]."
It is still unclear if the message was ever successfully delivered to Weston's phone.
Following the widespread media campaign to find Weston, since he has been declared deceased, the family has asked for privacy.
Weston’s mother ended her heartbreaking post announcing her son’s death with: "Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever.
"We will always love you, Weston."
Published 11:35 07 Jun 2026 GMT
The final message sent by the friend of a missing college student who was found dead in Japan may share an insight into his final days.
As previously reported, James 'Weston' Higginbotham, 20, vanished on May 29 after traveling to Kyoto's Yamashina Ward, an area his family believes he may have visited to access nearby hiking trails.
He'd traveled to Japan with his parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, on May 25 and was last seen wearing a white "Save the Bees" graphic T-shirt, lavender corduroy pants, and Adidas sneakers with black stripes, and carrying a tote bag featuring the outline of the state of Alabama, The New York Post reported.
Following his disappearance, his family stated that his phone location stopped updating after he got off a train in Yamashina Ward, believing that Weston, who they described as a very experienced hiker, may have intentionally headed toward a quiet trail in the area.
Weston was last spotted at Kyoto station at around 6PM on May 29 and remained missing for over a week as public appeals and searches took place, until he was tragically found deceased.
His mother, Nancy, confirmed the news, writing on Facebook: "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.
"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.
"We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our 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."
Just days before Weston went missing, on May 22 the family had met up with his friend, Hiyu Shikari, who had recently relocated to Japan after going to school with Weston, and their last messages may shed light on the young man's final days.
Recalling the time they spent together to The US Sun, Hiyu shared: "We had such a great time at a restaurant in Shinjuku, which is in Tokyo.
"Right after that, I tried to contact him on how he was doing in Kyoto, because I was in Kyoto a couple of weeks ago, and also the typhoon was coming as I was kind of worried, and I messaged him, ‘How’s the trip going?’
“And that was after he went missing. And so I didn’t get any contact with him after I met him."
His final text to Weston read: "Good evening! How’s the stay going? Hopefully yall are having a good time in Kyoto! Lmk [Let me know] if you need me to recommend you any places [sic]."
It is not yet known if the message was ever successfully delivered to Weston's phone or if the young man ever read it.
Weston's cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
Published 10:45 07 Jun 2026 GMT
The mother of a college student who was found dead after going missing on a family vacation in Japan has shared a heartbreaking message after his body was found.
As previously reported, James 'Weston' Higginbotham, 20, vanished on May 29 after traveling to Kyoto's Yamashina Ward, an area his family believes he may have visited to access nearby hiking trails.
He'd traveled to Japan with his parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, on May 25 and was last seen wearing a white "Save the Bees" graphic T-shirt, lavender corduroy pants, and Adidas sneakers with black stripes, and carrying a tote bag featuring the outline of the state of Alabama, The New York Post reported.
Following his disappearance, his family stated that his phone location stopped updating after he got off a train in Yamashina Ward, believing that Weston, who they described as a very experienced hiker, may have intentionally headed toward a quiet trail in the area.
Tragically, Nancy shared a heartbreaking message to Facebook on June 6, confirming that Weston had been found dead.
She wrote: "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.
"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 thanked those who helped in the search, saying: "We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our 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."
Weston's cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
CNN reports that Weston had gone exploring on his own after he and his mother butted heads over her use of ChatGPT.
Nancy told the outlet: "It’s not unusual for Weston to blow off steam, go into the woods and just explore.
"That’s his happy place. But it was unusual that he turned off his location."
Nancy also claimed that her use of an AI chatbot, ChatGPT, was "a sore subject" between her and her son.
She told CBS News: "I was using a little bit too much ChatGPT. Japan is a country that I've had a hard time navigating.
"Weston is very anti-AI because, you know, he's into sustainability engineering and AI uses a lot of water and is depleting a lot of water resources."
According to experts from the University of California, Riverside, using the chatbot for between ten and 50 queries consumes about two litres of water
Hours before his body was found, Nancy had stated that the family knew he was "out in these woods somewhere," but that the area is "very dense and the terrain is steep."
The parents of an Auburn University student who disappeared during a trip to Japan have issued an emotional plea for help.
James "Weston" Higginbotham, 20, vanished on Friday (May 29) after traveling to Kyoto's Yamashina Ward, an area his family believes he may have visited to access nearby hiking trails.
Now, his heartbroken parents, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, are asking people around the world to keep sharing information about their son in the hope someone in the East Asian country recognizes him.
In a video message shared on Facebook, the couple thanked supporters for the outpouring of help they have received since their son went missing.
"We truly feel them," the mom said of the thoughts and prayers sent their way. "We do feel the love and the support that you guys have given us and that the community in Japan has given us as well."
The father stressed that public support has played a critical role in the search effort. "Every comment, every share, has led us all to where we are now," he said.
Nancy echoed that message, explaining why continued social media visibility remains so important.
"Every time that you guys repost on social media, it's an opportunity for somebody in Japan to see it," she said. "That is our ultimate goal: for people in Japan to see Weston's face so they can report back to us."
Keith added that he remains hopeful: "We're gonna find him because of everyone's help in posting and getting the word out, so we can find the person who is gonna find him."
Weston traveled to Japan with his family on May 25 and was last seen wearing a white "Save the Bees" graphic T-shirt, lavender corduroy pants, and Adidas sneakers with black stripes.
He was also carrying a tote bag featuring the outline of the state of Alabama, The New York Post reported.
According to his family, his phone location stopped updating after he got off a train in Yamashina Ward.
Nancy believes her son, described as a very experienced hiker, may have intentionally headed toward a quiet trail in the area.
In earlier social media posts, she emphasized the urgency of the situation. "He may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent," she wrote.
The distraught mother also pushed back against online speculation about her son's disappearance.
"He is not detained from a [night] out partying," she wrote. "The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I'm already in so much pain."
The search has faced difficult conditions. Nancy previously revealed that she and her husband tried to search the area themselves using flashlights and headlamps, but were forced to turn back.
"My husband and I went last night with flashlights and headlamps and didn't get too far because we weren't prepared for the wildlife we encountered," she wrote. "If anyone wants to join us after the storm, I would be grateful."
Authorities and volunteers have already searched areas north of Yamashina on foot and by helicopter, with additional search efforts expected to resume on Thursday.
Nancy has also urged members of the public not to share potential sightings online.
"If you see him, PLEASE DO NOT POST HIS EXACT LOCATION PUBLICLY. Please call local police immediately and then message me directly," she wrote.
As the search continues, the Higginbotham family has thanked multiple organizations and volunteers involved in the effort, including Japanese authorities, the FBI, the U.S. Embassy, the Alabama government, and members of the local community.
Alabama Representative Mike Shaw also confirmed he had been in contact with officials in Japan regarding the case.
"We understand that appropriate resources are engaged and searching for Weston," Shaw said in a statement.
For Nancy and Keith, however, the focus remains on bringing their son home safely.
"If you know Weston, you know what a great kid he is; he has a heart of gold," the mom said in the family's latest video message. "We all want him to come back safely."
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