Missing Auburn University Student Found Dead In Japan
on Jun 03, 2026 • Updated Jun 12, 2026
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was with his family on vacation in Japan to celebrate his brother’s graduation, but he went missing on May 29.
For over a week, Weston’s parents, Nancy and Keith, searched with with Japanese authorities to locate their son. The FBI and the U.S. Embassy in Japan were involved in the search as well.
In addition to the prayers and efforts made by his parents, the family’s local church in Birmingham, Alabama, called Asbury United Methodist Church, held a prayer vigil on June 2, praying for the family and for Weston’s safe return.
Weston’s grandfather, Robert Holt, told WVTM 13:
“Try to assure them that they’re not alone — that they have a whole lot of people — and most importantly, they’ve got God. It’s his decision on how things go in our daily lives — period. Whatever your beliefs may or may not be, mine is very simple. God is in control, and with that said, ‘God, please.’”
However, on Saturday, June 6, eight days after the Auburn University student went missing, he was tragically found dead around 2:35 p.m., CNN reported.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Japanese police said, “No foul play is suspected.”
Further, Japanese police said in a statement to PEOPLE that they “will not disclose Weston’s cause of death.”
Through all of this, Weston’s mother, Nancy, never gave up hope as she searched through Japan, saying in one of her numerous Facebook posts, “We will not lose hope.”
Since the discovery of Weston’s body, his mother as well as as the Auburn University student organization Weston was involved in have released statements on his passing, which can be seen below.
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Weston’s Mom Remembers Her Son’s Passions, Announces Auburn Scholarship In His Honor
On June 6, after days of searching and giving desperate interviews on news outlets in hopes of making Weston’s face known to the public in Japan, Weston Higginbotham was tragically found dead.
“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,” Nancy wrote on June 6. “The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.”
She then wrote, “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.”
Thanking those who assisted with the search for Weston, including Japanese and American authorities, as well as those who have reached out and prayed, she wrote, “The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives.”
Nearing the conclusion of her post, she wrote, “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.”
Noting the Higginbotham family will need prayers “now more than ever,” she simply ended her post by writing, “Weston, we will always love you.”
See Nancy’s heartbreaking social media post about her son being found dead, here:
On June 10, Nancy shared an obituary for Weston, remembering his passion for the planet and his love for his family.
“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 the obituary, she said of Weston, “If a friend, neighbor, or stranger needed a helping hand, he was the kind of person who showed up without hesitation.”
Now, in that generous spirit, they’re offering a helping hand to students who will follow in his academic footsteps:
“In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham Endowed Scholarship fund for ecological engineering at Auburn University.”
Give to the Endowed Scholarship in Weston’s name at Auburn University, here.
The funeral ceremony for Weston will be held on June 17 at their church, Asbury United Methodist Church.
Auburn University Remembers Weston
In a statement released by Auburn University’s Allied Scholars for Animal Protection, which Weston was a member of, he was remembered as someone who “understood the value and beauty of all life.”
The statement goes, published on Instagram on June 7, goes on to say, “This is a huge loss to the community, the environment, and the animals that Weston so passionately fought to protect. The world needs more people like Weston.”
Comments on the post speak to Weston’s character, with one person writing, “Weston was an amazing human with so much kindness and so much passion.”
Weston’s mother, Nancy, replied to the post as well, writing:
“Thank you so much for writing this. I feel like your words embodied who Weston was. Please remember him always, and when you think you don’t have time to advocate, just push yourself in Weston’s name. Love to you all.”
See photos of Weston at past student events at Auburn, and the full post honoring his memory and service, here:
Outside of Samford Hall at Auburn University, on June 11, Weston’s personal Auburn flag was flown on the university’s flagpole in his honor.
More On Weston’s Parents’ Search For Their Son, And Their Emotional Video Statement
Weston was believed to have exited at the Yamashina train station, per the Life360 app the family used, and that was the primary location of the search for the Auburn University student.
In a June 1 post on Facebook, Nancy described her son, saying, “Weston is a very experienced hiker and this town has beautiful nature trails. He may have intentionally chosen a quiet trail from Yamashina, especially Bishamon-do, Lake Biwa Canal, Misasagi, Keage/Nanzen-ji, Kyoto Trail, Mount Otowa, or Daigo/Kami-Daigo.”
Nancy added that a typhoon was hitting the area, but she and her husband were still searching for Weston.
“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.
In a video statement, Nancy and Keith spoke about their son’s disappearance, prayerfully asking for help in locating him.
“I just want to thank you all so much for your continuous thoughts and prayers,” Nancy said. “We truly feel them, and I want to thank everybody who was at Asbury right now at the vigil praying for Weston and our family. We do feel the love and the support that you have given us and that the community in Japan has given us as well.”
Keith then said, “Every comment, every share, everything that you all have done has led us to where we are now. We’re continuing to get closer and closer.”
Nancy noted that every time that someone posts about Weston on social media that it’s “an opportunity for someone in Japan to see it,” with Nancy saying her “ultimate goal” is to make sure people in Japan know to be looking for Weston.
“If you know Weston, you know what a great kid he is,” Nancy said. “He has a heart of gold, and we all want him to come back safely.”
Watch their emotional video statement, here:
Nancy provided the following description of what Weston looks like, prefacing that Weston “may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent,” listing the following details:
- Name: James “Weston” Higginbotham
- Age: 20;
- Height: 185cm (6′ 1″);
- Hair: Blonde Long;
- Eyes: Blue;
- Clothing last seen wearing: Shirt (white front, on the back it says “Save the Bees” with two bumblebees), Lavender corduroy pants with a large cuff, beat up adidas white with black stripes and wide shoelaces);
- Bag: Shoulder bag (not backpack) with the state of Alabama on it; and
- Phone: location turned off.
She also wrote, “Please be kind. We are in our own living hell. He is not detained from a night out partying. The police have confirmed this. Please, I beg you, be kind. I’m already in so much pain.”
Leading up to the discovery of Weston’s body, approximately 50 police officers, helicopters, and K9 units were deployed to Weston’s last known location, in Yamashina.
Watch Nancy and Keith’s video statement from June 6, hours before their son was found deceased, here:
Watch some of the CNN coverage of the search for Weston, here:
