The circumstances surrounding the death of an Arizona student, who passed away during a family holiday in Japan, are to remain undisclosed, according to authorities.
James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham, aged 20, was discovered lifeless over the weekend near Kyoto following an intensive search-and-rescue mission.
Japanese authorities have decided not to publicly reveal the cause of his death, though they have stated there is no evidence of foul play, as reported by TMZ.
His mother, Nancy, shared the tragic news on Saturday through a poignant post on her Facebook page.
“Our family is devastated to announce that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue team in the mountains outside Kyoto. The depth of our grief is beyond expression,” she wrote, conveying her sorrow.
“We will always cherish the memories with our sweet, precious Weston, yet the thought of life without him is unfathomable,” she added.
Higginbotham said their family is ‘deeply grateful’ for everyone across the US, Japan and ‘around the world’ who helped ‘share Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement and helped in the search efforts.’
‘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, 20, was last seen in Kyoto on May 29. His parents revealed on Saturday morning that the college student was found dead
James (left) was described as being ’emotionally distressed’ when he went missing
He traveled to the country with family to celebrate his younger brother’s graduation, and was described as being ’emotionally distressed’ when he went missing.
He had last been seen on May 29 after his family had been ‘bickering,’ his mother previously revealed.
‘We had an argument because I was using ChatGPT too much to try to help us navigate the trip and find the best restaurants and do this and that,’ she told NBC News.
Nancy said her son, a biosystems engineering major at Auburn University, adamantly opposes society’s ever-growing reliance on AI.
‘We try never to use it and I totally agree with him. It was just a dumb, dumb argument to have,’ Nancy added.
The heartbroken mother said her son appeared ’emotionally distressed’ after their disagreement.
Higginbotham is a ‘pacifist,’ she explained before the discovery of his body, claiming that he will ‘retreat to himself’ when he gets upset.
Nancy described ‘bickering’ as normal to Fox News, with the family sharing twin beds in a hotel room for six days together. She said he ‘just needed time by himself,’ and that his ‘happy place is going on a trail or just going on a hike.’
His mother and father, Nancy and Keith Higginbotham, made an emotional plea last week for anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward (Pictured: James and Nancy)
James (far right) traveled to the country with his family to celebrate his younger brother’s graduation
He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with a graphic on the back that reads ‘Save the Bees’, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes
After his disappearance, James’ family was able to track him down on Life360, an app that allows families to track locations, Nancy said.
It showed that James, who also goes by Weston, was by a river, visited a few stores, and then boarded a local train before his location went ‘completely dark,’ she stated.
He was last seen alive on surveillance footage getting off a train at the Yamashina Station Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, Nancy and her husband, Keith, shared a heartbreaking video on social media amid the search for their child.
The couple thanked everyone who had offered support for their ‘thoughts and prayers,’ with Nancy adding, ‘We truly feel them.’
‘We do feel the love and the support that you guys have given us and that the community in Japan has given us as well.’
