UMVA has learned that a desperate search is underway in Japan for a 20-year-old American college student who vanished during a family trip, leaving his parents frantic with worry and pleading for help.
James "Weston" Higginbotham, a student at Auburn University, was last heard from on May 29, and his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, has been scouring social media for any sign of her son, writing "We are in our own living hell" as she begs for kindness and assistance in finding him.
According to information obtained by UMVA, police have been reviewing CCTV footage and believe Weston's last known location was Yamashina Station, east of Kyoto, an area surrounded by wooded trails, temples, and forested paths that may have drawn the young hiker and environmental engineering student.
Weston's phone was last active shortly after he arrived at Kyoto Station around 8:15 p.m., and his family suspects he may have boarded a local train and gotten off at Yamashina, possibly seeking out nearby nature trails, but his mother admits he may have been emotionally distressed at the time of his disappearance.
Japanese police have escalated the search, deploying 50 officers, K-9 teams, and helicopters to comb the heavily wooded terrain near the station, with Weston's mother praising their efforts despite severe weather conditions that have hindered the search.
Weston is described as 6 feet 1 inch tall with long blond hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a distinctive outfit, including a "Save the Bees" shirt, lavender corduroy pants, and white Adidas sneakers with black stripes, and his family remains hopeful that he will be found safe and sound.
As the search continues, Weston's family is holding on to hope, with his mother writing "We will not lose hope" and expressing gratitude for the outpouring of love and support they have received, and UMVA can exclusively reveal that the investigation is ongoing, with authorities working tirelessly to locate the missing student.
