Missing US student found dead near Kyoto, Japan, mother says

The family of James Higginbotham is heartbroken after the 20-year-old American student, who disappeared during a family vacation in Japan, was found dead outside Kyoto. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, shared the devastating news on Facebook.

The body of Higginbotham, an engineering student at Auburn University from Alabama, was discovered in a mountainous area by a volunteer search-and-rescue team. Details regarding the cause of death were not immediately available.

"Our family is heartbroken," his mother wrote. "The grief we feel is impossible to put into words." Higginbotham was last seen leaving a Kyoto train station on May 29. His mother had been tracking his movements via the Life360 app until his phone went dark and location services were disabled later that night.

His parents believe he may have been heading to a nearby hiking trail. The family was in Japan to celebrate the high school graduation of James's younger brother. An initial three-day search by Japanese authorities, involving approximately 100 police officers, K-9 units, and helicopters, did not find any trace of him.

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Our family is heartbroken. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.