The body of missing Auburn University student James “Weston” Higginbotham was found in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, Japan, his family said Saturday.
Higginbotham, 20, had been missing for about a week after authorities last placed him at Kyoto train station during a family trip.
His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said a volunteer search and rescue group found his remains. She thanked those who helped search and asked for privacy. “The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,” she said in a family statement.
Kyoto police said Higginbotham had been missing since he left his hotel on May 29. His mother said he later entered the mountainous forest area near Yamashina, Kyoto. She said the area had water sources but limited food.
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The family previously said Higginbotham walked away after an argument during the trip. They feared he may have been emotionally distressed.
Takuya Nishikawa of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters said heavy rains from a typhoon delayed the search until Wednesday.
