Auburn University student dies James “Weston” HigginbothamThe 20-year-old reminded the world of the death of Lucie Blackman, two young people who died under mysterious circumstances in Japan. Search and rescue volunteers at Japan James’ body was discovered after he went missing during a family holiday.
James’ mother, Nancy Higginbotham, announced in a Facebook post His body was found by “a volunteer search and rescue team in the mountains outside Kyoto,” adding, “The sadness we feel is beyond words.”
She added: “We are forever grateful for the time we spent with sweet, precious Weston, but cannot begin to fathom what life would be like without him. We are deeply grateful to the countless people in the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped find jobs. The outpouring of kindness and support helped us get through some of the darkest days of our lives.”
What happened to James “Weston” Higginbotham?
James, a passionate naturalist, disappeared on May 29 after leaving his parents and brother to explore Kyoto alone. He once had an argument with his mother over her use of ChatGPT to navigate their travels.
James’ parents used the Life360 app to track his location and saw him boarding a train and visiting various shops. They texted him asking where he was going, but his spot was quickly closed, which his mother said was out of character for him.
Learn more | James Higginbotham case: What happened to the missing Auburn student? Complete timeline of bodies found in Japan
CCTV footage shows James last walking alone in the Yamako area of the city. The trail led to a hiking trail in nearby woods, CNN reported.
Because of the camera’s location and James’ love of hiking, police decided to search the forest on June 2. However, their search efforts were disrupted by a storm that night that brought high winds and heavy rain to the area. More than 100 police officers, K-9s and helicopters were involved in the search.
The Higginbothams later launched their own search with the help of local residents and hired search and rescue teams. His mother issued a statement on Facebook after his body was found.
Lucy Blackman case
Lucy, 21, just one year older than James at the time of his death, is a British former flight attendant who disappeared in Tokyo on July 1, 2000, where she was working as a barmaid. Like James, she also went on an adventure to Japan in May 2000. On the afternoon of July 1, she went out to meet with a client but never returned.
Learn more | James Weston Higginbotham case update: Auburn student’s family breaks silence after his body is found in Japan
Lucy’s disappearance sparked an intense international manhunt. Her body was found buried in a cave in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The wealthy Japanese businessman Joji Ohara was convicted of kidnapping, mutilating and disposing of Lucy. In 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison for the repeated rape and manslaughter of Australian woman Carita Ridgway. He was initially acquitted in Blackman’s case due to a lack of direct evidence, but prosecutors continued to appeal. In 2008, the Tokyo High Court overturned his acquittal and found him guilty of kidnapping, dismembering and disposing of Lucy’s body.
Lucy’s case is explored in a Netflix documentary, Missing: The Case of Lucy Blackman.
