James "Weston" Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student from Hoover, Alabama, was found dead in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, Japan, multiple reports said Saturday, June 6.
His body was found by a volunteer search-and-rescue group, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said on social media.
A cause of death had not been released. Kyoto police had not found evidence suggesting foul play in the immediate area, NBC News reported, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Higginbotham was reported missing on Friday, May 29, after going to explore hiking trails alone during a family trip.
As Daily Voice reported on Wednesday, June 3, Higginbotham was last seen on surveillance video in Kyoto.
His family said he arrived at Kyoto Station around 8:15 p.m. local time Friday. His phone last showed activity at 8:29 p.m.
Before that, surveillance footage showed he had made a purchase at a Kohnan hardware store in the Kyoto area.
Police later tracked him through surveillance video to Yamashina Station, east of central Kyoto. His family believed he may have been heading toward nearby hiking trails.
Higginbotham’s mother had described him as an experienced traveler, skilled navigator, avid hiker, vegan, and outdoorsman.
Search teams focused partly on wooded areas and steep terrain near Yamashina. The effort included Japanese authorities, K-9 units, helicopters, and volunteers.
CBS News reported that more than 100 police officers took part in the search, and that the family hired a professional rescue crew after Japanese authorities said they were suspending their effort.
A typhoon also complicated search efforts during the week.
Higginbotham was 6-foot-1 with long blond hair and blue eyes. He had been last seen wearing a white shirt with "Save the Bees" and two bumblebees on the back, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes. He was also carrying a shoulder bag showing the outline of Alabama.
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