The family of James “Weston” Higginbotham has spoken publicly for the first time since his body was found, describing a grief that is “impossible to put into words.”
Weston, a 20-year-old junior majoring in biosystems engineering at Auburn University, vanished on May 29 while traveling with his parents in the Kyoto region.
Japanese authorities, volunteers, local residents and members of the Higginbotham family had spent days searching for him before a volunteer search-and-rescue group located his remains in a wooded area outside Kyoto on Saturday.
The discovery brought a heartbreaking end to a search that had mobilized police officers, K-9 units, helicopters and volunteers across the difficult terrain near Kyoto.
Read more: James Weston Higginbotham cause of death: What happened to missing American student found dead in Japan?
“The grief we feel is impossible to put into words”
In a social media post published on June 6, Nancy Higginbotham reflected on the loss of her son and thanked the thousands of people who helped search for him.
“The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,” she wrote. “We are forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but cannot begin to understand what life without him will be like.”
Nancy also expressed gratitude to supporters around the world who shared information about Weston’s disappearance and participated in search efforts.
“We are forever grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts,” she wrote. “The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives.”
The grieving mother concluded her statement by asking for privacy as the family processes the tragedy.
“Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever,” she wrote. “We will always love you, Weston.”
Read more: James Weston Higginbotham: 5 things to know as missing Auburn University student found dead in Japan
Final days before the discovery
According to family members, Weston was last seen on surveillance footage after exiting a train in Kyoto’s Yamashina area on May 29. His last known phone activity occurred later that evening.
Investigators and the Higginbotham family subsequently focused their search on nearby hiking trails and mountainous terrain because Weston was known to enjoy hiking and outdoor activities.
Nancy previously told NBC News that her son had walked away following a disagreement during the family vacation. She said that the family was concerned he may have been “emotionally distressed” when he left.
On June 3, Japanese authorities reportedly deployed approximately 50 police officers, helicopters and search dogs to comb forested areas around Yamashina.
On June 6, Weston’s remains were found.
