A family that went on a vacation last month has borne weeks of anxiety, waiting for their loved one to show up or be found. Now, they have to contend with grief as the missing Alabama student has been found dead.
A family of three was on an international tour to Japan when one of them went missing. 20-year-old James Higginbotham, a student at Auburn University, was in Japan’s Kyoto area with his mother and brother when he disappeared.
The Day’s Event
The family was still in their holiday mood on Friday, May 29, 2026, when Western, as they often called him, left. As hours passed and he did not return, his mother and brother checked his whereabouts on the Life360 app they use as a family.
They tracked him down and noticed he had ridden on a train. They also noticed him moving from store to store, but could not tell what he was looking for or had purchased. They sent him a text inquiring where he was headed.
The mother and brother expected a reply, but that was not forthcoming. Instead, Western became unreachable, something the mother says was unusual for him.
A Massive Police Search
According to Western’s mother, the Auburn University student loved hiking. Therefore, it was not surprising that the last place a CCTV camera captured him led toward some hiking trail. That was in the Kyoto area known as Yamashina.
Kyoto is one of Japan’s cities, and its population is around 1.5 million. It is rich in culture, one of Higginbotham’s major interests. His family says he always wanted to blend with different cultures.
On learning of Higginbotham’s disappearance, the police mobilized a massive team of up to 100 police officers. They searched for him wherever they could, until a heavy storm halted the search on June 2.
The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds, and officials involved in the search feared for the young man’s health. Accompanied by K-9s and with complementary helicopter use, the force team combed a vast area with dense wood growth for 72 hours.
Finally, searching volunteers found James Higginbotham’s body yesterday afternoon in the mountains of Yamashina. Higginbotham’s mother is immensely grateful to the Japanese police for their unreserved support.
The family remembers James “Western” Higginbotham for his love of nature and culture. The way Weston’s mother describes him, one can visualize a person who would go to any lengths to protect animals.
Hopefully, his memory will incentivize other Auburn University students to care for animals and the environment. Hopefully, his home community at Hoover will remember him fondly and emulate his love of nature, too.
Messages of Condolences
Meanwhile, the Auburn University President, Christopher Roberts, has sent a message of condolences to James’s family on behalf of the University fraternity.
The residents of Hoover, too, the Alabama city where the Weston family comes from, continue to send their condolences. Mayor Nick Derzis led the residents by posting his message on social media. He said his community in northern central Alabama is devastated by the sad news.
He noted how the Hoover community had joined in prayer since learning of Western’s disappearance. Underlining the communal loss, he termed Western as having a remarkable character, and touching everyone he interacted with.
Other leaders who have sent their condolence messages to the Higginbothams’ family include Senator Katie Britt and Senator Tommy Tuberville, both of Alabama.
As Western’s mother, Nancy Higginbotham, mourns the loss of her son, a student of Auburn University, she recalls him carrying a book on butterflies on their trip to Japan. She will continue to remember how much he loved nature.