BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Friends and family gathered Wednesday to say farewell to James “Weston” Higginbotham, the 20-year-old Auburn University student from Hoover whose death in Japan captured hearts across Alabama and beyond.
A visitation was held, followed by a funeral service, at Asbury United Methodist Church. A graveside service followed at Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham.
Weston was last seen May 29 while vacationing in Kyoto with his family to celebrate his younger brother’s high school graduation. After getting into an argument with his mother and setting out to explore the city alone, he never returned. His family launched a desperate, public search that drew international attention — pleading on social media for volunteers to help comb the dense, steep terrain outside the city…