Auburn University Student Missing for Days Found Dead in Japan

Japanese police searched through waist-high mud, and search dogs and helicopters were used.

James "Weston" Higginbotham, who went missing in Japan, in an unidentified location, in this still image obtained from social media released on June 3, 2026. Nancy Higginbotham via Facebook/via Reuters

The body of an American college student who was last seen entering a Japanese mountain range popular with hikers was found on Saturday. He went missing on May 29 while on a family trip in Japan.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was found dead after a massive search to find the Auburn University student, according to his mother’s post on Facebook.