Overview
- Volunteers searching the mountains outside Kyoto found James “Weston” Higginbotham on Saturday, and his mother and Auburn University confirmed his death.
- Higginbotham disappeared on May 29 after separating from his family and was last seen on security footage in the Yamashina area near hiking trails.
- Japanese police conducted a 72-hour search that involved more than 100 officers, K-9 teams and helicopters but were hampered by a storm that restricted access to forested terrain.
- After some official operations were scaled back, the family used Life360 data, social media and a privately hired search-and-rescue team while local volunteers joined the effort.
- No official cause or manner of death has been released and Japanese authorities are expected to complete required procedures as U.S. consular officials and the FBI stand ready to assist if requested.