Family Confirms Death of Missing US Student in Japan

(MENAFN) The family of a 20-year-old American university student who disappeared in Japan has confirmed that his body was discovered in a mountainous area near Kyoto after a week-long search.

James “Weston” Higginbotham had last been seen at Kyoto Station more than a week earlier. His disappearance prompted a large-scale search operation involving local authorities and volunteer rescue teams.

On Saturday, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, announced that volunteers participating in the search effort had located her son's body.

“The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,” Higginbotham said. “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 also expressed appreciation to everyone who assisted in the search operation, reached out with support, or offered prayers during the family's ordeal.

“The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives.”
Explaining the family's earlier public appeals, she said they had shared information through social media and other channels in hopes of locating Weston.

“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,” she said.

The discovery brings a tragic end to the search effort that had drawn widespread community support and concern following the student's disappearance.

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