20-year-old American student James Higginbotham was found dead on Saturday outside Kyoto after he disappeared during a family holiday. Now new details about him has come to light, among them the heartbreaking thing he carried in his back pocket, which might give a clue into what happened.
On Saturday, James Higginbotham, also known as “Weston,” was found dead outside Kyoto. Local police told CNN that his body was found around 2.35pm by volunteers who searched the mountains in the area around the city of Yamashina. Police added that no foul play is suspected.
“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,” the family wrote.
The statement continued, “The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever. We will always love you, Weston.”
James “Weston” Higginbotham found dead in Japan
James Higginbotham, an environmental engineering student at Auburn, disappeared during a family holiday in Japan on May 29. He ad left his parents and brother to explore Kyoto on his own after he and his mother had an argument over her use of ChatGPT to navigate the trip, where James had argued that it required many natural resources to make the AI tool work.
The search mission for the 20-year-old was massive. The 72-hour search involved more than 100 police officers, K-9 units, and helicopters.
Following news of Weston’s death, Auburn University President Christopher Roberts said the community lost “a valued member of the Auburn Family.”
“On behalf of Auburn University, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham, who died while traveling in Japan,” Roberts said in a statement to CNN. “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.”
A Hoover, Alabama, native, James “Weston” Higginbotham was described by his mother as a nature lover and avid traveler. Speaking with CNN on Friday, his mother, Nancy, shared some beautiful words on his son.
Always carried around a book, his mother said
“He just loves to go outside and go for a walk at a trail or go for a small hike, no matter what time of day,” she told CNN. “That’s just fun to him.”
Nancy Higginbotham further shared that he was always educating himself “about the world,” and read every book he got his hands on. She also revealed that her son was always carrying a book about butterflies in his back pocket during the Japan trip.
“His goal in life is to travel…and go to all of these amazing mountains and places where he can embed himself in different cultures,” she told CNN.
US Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville also joined in to mourn his death..
“Please join us in praying for James’s family, friends, and loved ones as they, and all of Alabama, mourn this tragic loss,” Britt said in the statement.
“Our community of Greystone, Hoover, North Shelby County, and beyond has been praying for this family and the safe return of Weston. May God be with this precious family, State Rep. Susan DuBose said.
Rest in peace, James.
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