A family friend of the Alabama student who was found dead in Japan has issued a message to online sleuths speculating over his cause of death, calling the focus on how he died 'especially painful.' 

James 'Weston' Higginbotham, 20, a student at Auburn University, was found dead in Kyoto on June 6 after he separated from his family on vacation, prompting a massive search for the American. 

His mother, Nancy, shared the news in a heartbreaking Facebook post, writing that Higginbotham was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area. 

Authorities in Japan later announced that they would not be publicly releasing the young man's cause of death. 

Jennifer Harper Bowen, fellow Auburn mother and a friend of the family, posted an update on Saturday, calling for the public to give the family privacy and avoid sharing speculation about Higginbotham's death. 

Family friend speaks out

'I checked on my precious friend Nancy today and wanted to share a few things on her behalf,' Bowen wrote. 

'One thing Nancy shared that has been especially painful is the overwhelming focus on how Weston passed rather than on the loss of Weston himself,' she continued. 

'And before asking for information, place yourself in their shoes and ask: If this were my child, what would I need most right now?' 

'I suspect the answer would not be questions. It would be love. Please share. Please pray.'

Bowen said her son is Higginbotham's age and the two were engineering students at Auburn. 

Speaking about her friend Nancy, Bowen wrote, 'She told me she is so overcome with endless waves of pain that she feels as though she cannot breathe and gets startled. In one conversation, she simply asked me to give my son an extra hug.' 

'That request alone from her shattered my heart.' 

Disappearance drew international attention

The family friend added that the Higginbothams have returned home to Alabama and that Delta Airlines allowed for the college student's body to be transported back to the states. 

The family wrote in a separate statement that funeral services for Higginbotham would take place later in the week. 

Higginbotham's death gained international attention during the search to find him after his disappearance on May 29.

He went missing after an argument with his family. Nancy said in an interview with NBC News that they were bickering over her use of ChatGPT. 

'We try never to use it and I totally agree with him. It was just a dumb, dumb argument to have,' she explained at the time. 

Nancy said that the bickering was not out of the ordinary and explained that her son typically takes time to decompress around nature, describing it as his 'happy place.'   

The family then tracked his whereabouts using Life360, a location-tracking app. It showed that Higginbotham was by a river, visited a few stores, and then boarded a local train before his location went 'completely dark,' Nancy stated.

Honoring a legacy of sustainability and adventure

He was last seen alive on surveillance footage getting off a train at the Yamashina Station. 

'James “Weston” Higginbotham lit up every room with his charismatic smile. He was passionate about protecting the environment and was dedicating his life to sustainability,' his family said online. 

They added that he had an 'adventurous spirit,' and loved hiking and being outdoors. He studied biosystems engineering with a focus on sustainability at Auburn, where he was an active member of the climbing team. 

Higginbotham also loved to travel and was planning to go to Bolivia in August to distribute water to a local village with classmates. 

His family has set up a scholarship fund in his name at Auburn for students studying ecological engineering. Auburn flew a memorial flag in Higginbotham's honor last Thursday.