US4 min(s) read
us3 min(s) read
world3 min(s) read
world4 min(s) read
world3 min(s) read
us3 min(s) read
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 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."
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 12:13 09 Jun 2026 GMT
A mysterious, unanswered text has emerged as police revealed a key update in the death of a US student who vanished during a family vacation in Japan before being found dead in a remote mountain range.
James "Weston" Higginbotham, 20, was discovered dead on Saturday at around 2:35PM by a volunteer search-and-rescue crew.
According to CNN, authorities confirmed that no foul play is suspected in the case, though they will not disclose the cause of death.
"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," Weston's family said in a statement posted on social media.
"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," they continued. "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. 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," they added.
As tributes continue to pour in, one message sent by Weston's childhood friend has taken on a particularly heartbreaking meaning.
Hiyu Shikari, 20, reunited with Weston in Tokyo just days before he disappeared. The pair had attended school together in the US before Hiyu moved to Japan.
After their dinner together, Hiyu tried to check in on Weston as the family travelled to Kyoto.
"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," Hiyu told The US Sun.
"And so I didn't get any contact with him after I met him," he continued. "I've been doing what I can to spread awareness."
Screenshots shared with the outlet showed that Hiyu had texted Weston earlier, encouraging him to enjoy his time in Japan and contact him if he needed help. Weston reacted to the message with a heart.
Later, Hiyu sent another message, which never appeared to reach his friend's phone.
"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 said. The message went unanswered.
Following confirmation of Weston's death, Hiyu told the publication: "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," he added.
Weston was an environmental engineering student at Auburn University. He had travelled to Japan with his parents and younger brother Grayton to celebrate Grayton's high school graduation.
According to Nancy, tensions arose during the trip after the 20-year-old disagreed with her use of ChatGPT to help navigate their travels.
Wanting some space, Weston decided to explore Kyoto alone while the rest of the family visited a nearby 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."
Using location data from the family's Life360 app, relatives were able to piece together some of his final known movements.
Weston is believed to have left carrying around $62 and with his phone battery at just 34 percent. After stopping at a hardware store, he boarded a train from Kyoto Station to nearby Yamashina Station, a journey of approximately five minutes.
At 8:29PM, his phone lost network coverage.
When his location later disappeared and he failed to respond to calls and messages, his family reported him missing at around 2AM.
An extensive search operation involving police, rescue teams, volunteers, and K9 units was launched, but efforts were complicated by the mountain terrain, dense woodland, and extreme weather brought by a typhoon.
The heartbreaking search came to an end on Saturday when a volunteer search-and-rescue team located the missing student in the mountains.
Published 11:04 09 Jun 2026 GMT
A days-long search in the Japanese mountains tragically concluded on Saturday (June 6), after the body of James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was discovered.
The American college student first vanished on May 29 after traveling to Kyoto's Yamashina Ward, where his family believes he may have gone to access the area's hiking trails.
In an investigation that also involved the FBI, it was found that the student, who had traveled to Japan with his parents just four days before his disappearance.
As reported by The New York Post, he was last seen in a white "Save the Bees" graphic T-shirt, lavender corduroy pants, and Adidas sneakers with black stripes, while carrying a tote bag with the outline of the state of Alabama.
The family believed that Weston, who was an experienced hiker, chose to take a quieter trail in the area, but now, police have provided a key update in the student's untimely passing.
Japanese police in Kyoto told CNN that Weston was found at around 2:35PM on Saturday by a volunteer search-and-rescue crew.
They also confirmed that no foul play is suspected and that they will not disclose the cause of death.
It should be noted that Japanese officials are culturally and legally guarded about investigative information.
Taking to social media, Weston's family penned in an emotional post: “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.”
Weston's mother, Nancy, added: “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.
“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.”
Weston was believed to have been found in the heavily forested Higashiyama mountain range in the Yamashina Ward area, on the eastern border of Kyoto.
The student had a disagreement with his mom about the use of ChatGPT on the trip, and went into the woods to "blow off steam" while his family went to a temple.
Weston, a student at Alabama’s Auburn University, was left with around $62 on him and his phone battery at 34 per cent.
After leaving at around 6PM on Friday, May 29, his phone lost network at 8:29PM.
He would be reported missing to local authorities at 2AM, after his location had switched off and he failed to answer several calls and texts.
Police struggled to find the student at first, but with the help of several search parties, he was found roughly a week after going missing.
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.
3 min(s) read
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_lli6Ty?tr=cr-74.9.445.380,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
