James “Weston” Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who disappeared during a family trip to Japan, has been found dead in a mountainous area outside Kyoto.

Higginbotham had been missing since May 29 after separating from his family while they were visiting Kyoto. 

According to his family, he was last seen near the Yamashina area east of the city, a region known for hiking trails and wooded terrain. 

His disappearance prompted a large-scale search involving Japanese authorities, search-and-rescue teams, volunteers, and support from U.S. officials. 

His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, announced Saturday that a volunteer search-and-rescue group located her son’s body in a mountainous area near Kyoto. 

Authorities have not yet publicly released a cause of death.