James Weston Higginbotham case update: Final text to friend revealed after Auburn student found dead in Japan
James “Weston” Higginbotham, an Auburn University student, went missing while on a family vacation in Japan. His death has taken a tragic turn after information regarding the last text message he allegedly sent to a friend before he disappeared.
Higginbotham, a junior studying biosystems engineering at Auburn University, was last seen on May 29 in Kyoto’s Yamashina district.
Japanese authorities, volunteers and family members spent more than a week searching for him after he separated from his parents during their trip. His remains were ultimately located by a volunteer search-and-rescue team in a wooded area outside Kyoto on Saturday, June 6.
Read more: James Weston Higginbotham cause of death revealed? Missing American student found dead in Japan
Final text message to friend before disappearance
According to the US Sun, among the last moments details to emerge are messages exchanged between Higginbotham and his longtime friend Hiyu Shikari, who met him and his family during their trip to Japan.
Shikari and Higginbotham were childhood friends who attended middle school together in the United States before Shikari moved to Japan several years ago. The pair reunited in Tokyo during Weston’s vacation and spent time together at a restaurant in Shinjuku. The Higginbotham family was headed to Kyoto shortly after.
After the meeting, Shikari sent a message thanking his friend for the reunion. “Thank you so much. Enjoying your stay in Japan!! Feel free to contact me whenever you face a problem,” he wrote.
Higginbotham responded with a heart emoji, which would become one of their final exchanges.
A few days later, after Weston had arrived in Kyoto, Shikari sent another text checking on him and offering travel recommendations. “Good evening! How’s the stay going?” he wrote. “Hopefully y’all are having a good time in Kyoto! Let me know if you need me to recommend any places.”
The message was never delivered and went unanswered.
Read more: Nancy and Keith Higginbotham: 5 things on James Weston’s parents as son goes missing in Japan
Family mourns after search ends in tragedy
On June 6, Weston’s mother, Nancy Higginbotham, confirmed the devastating news in a Facebook statement.
“Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto,” she wrote. “The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.”
She thanked the thousands of people who assisted in the search effort and supported the family throughout the ordeal.
“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,” she added.