Home / Crime and Justice / Missing Auburn Student's Trail Goes Cold in Japan
Missing Auburn Student's Trail Goes Cold in Japan
4 Jun
Summary
- Auburn student James 'Weston' Higginbotham went missing on May 29, 2026.
- He was last identified at Yamashina railway station east of Kyoto.
- Japanese police confirmed he is not in custody and his phone's last activity was on May 29.
An extensive search is underway for James 'Weston' Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who disappeared during a family trip in Japan. He was last seen on May 29, 2026, in the Kyoto area. His family fears he may have gone into nearby wooded trails, a favorite pastime of his.
Japanese police have confirmed Higginbotham is not in custody. Security footage shows him at Yamashina railway station, east of Kyoto, around 8:15 p.m. on May 29, though it is unclear if he boarded a train. His phone's last activity was also reported that evening.
Higginbotham, an environmental engineering student from Hoover, Alabama, is described as 6 feet 1 inch tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. His family and friends organized a prayer vigil in Shelby County, Alabama, as the search continues.
