Auburn student missing in Japan went off alone after family bickering on vacation, parents say

An Auburn University pupil missing successful Japan for astir a week had acceptable disconnected unsocial during a household abrogation aft his household was bickering, his parents said Thursday.

Nancy and Keith Higginbotham revealed much details astir the moments starring up to the May 29 disappearance of their 20-year-old son, James "Weston" Higginbotham, adjacent Yamashina Station, eastbound of Kyoto, during an interrogation connected "FOX & Friends First."

"We decided to separate," Nancy Higginbotham said. "We had been, you know, benignant of bickering with each other, and we decided, you spell bash your thing, we spell bash our thing. I mean he's 20 years old, he's highly well-traveled, he's a fantastic navigator, and truthful we went to the temples, and past helium went by the river."

She added that it was the mean benignant of bickering a household whitethorn acquisition connected vacation, noting they had spent six days sharing duplicate beds successful a edifice room.

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James "Weston" Higginbotham, 20, vanished successful Japan during a household trip, according to his mother. Police judge his past known determination was Yamashina Station, eastbound of Kyoto. (Facebook/Nancy Higginbotham )

The household was capable travel him connected Life360, a telephone app that enables families to way each other’s location, Nancy Higginbotham said. It showed Weston was by the stream and went to a mates of stores earlier helium boarded a train. Then his determination went "completely dark," she said.

When asked astir her station connected societal media that said Weston whitethorn person been emotionally distressed astatine the clip helium went missing, Nancy Higginbotham said her lad "just needed clip by himself."

His household believes helium whitethorn person been seeking adjacent quality trails erstwhile helium went missing connected May 29. (Facebook/Nancy Higginbotham )

"We conscionable needed immoderate separation," she said. "And truthful his blessed spot is going connected a way oregon conscionable going connected a hike, and truthful we conscionable each needed conscionable a small spot of clip away. It's not an abnormal happening to privation time. When you're 20, you're an adult. You tin bash that."

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Weston is described arsenic lasting 6 feet 1 inch gangly with agelong blond hairsbreadth and bluish eyes. His parent said helium was past seen wearing a garment with "Save the Bees" printed connected the back, lavender corduroy pants and achromatic Adidas sneakers with achromatic stripes. He was carrying a enarthrosis container featuring the outline of the authorities of Alabama.

Weston was past seen wearing a garment with "Save the Bees" printed connected the back, lavender corduroy pants and achromatic Adidas sneakers with achromatic stripes, according to his mother. (Facebook/Nancy Higginbotham )

Nancy Higginbotham has been sharing updates astir the hunt connected her societal media, penning that dozens of constabulary officers, K-9 units and helicopters person been combing the wooded portion for Weston.

The country astir Yamashina includes respective fashionable hiking routes, temples and forested paths, including trails starring toward Mount Otowa and the Kyoto Trail network.

The parents praised Japanese police, the U.S. Embassy successful Japan and the FBI arsenic "wonderful" for their efforts successful the search.

"They deployed different 50 constabulary officers, and I was told that, you know, they had mud up to their thorax … and they had the canine dogs, and they had the helicopters today," Nancy Higginbotham said.

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She said the household is inactive hopeful Weston volition beryllium recovered live contempt being missing for astir a week, adding that her lad "is built to endure."

"The h2o is precise caller here; helium has plentifulness of h2o to drink," she said. "And helium knows however to forage; helium tin survive. He is retired determination and we are going to find him."