Nancy and Keith Higginbotham thank supporters in Weston Higginbotham search

Nancy and Keith Higginbotham thanked supporters on June 2 as the search for weston higginbotham continued in Japan. In a video message, Nancy said the family feels the response from Alabama and abroad and wants people to keep sharing his photo online.

Nancy Higginbotham’s June 2 message

"We truly feel them," Nancy Higginbotham said. "We feel the love and the support that you guys have given us and that the community in Japan has given us as well."

She said the family’s goal is for people in Japan to see Weston’s face and pass information back to them. "Every time that you guys repost on social media, it's an opportunity for somebody in Japan to see it," she said.

Weston Higginbotham is a 20-year-old Auburn University student from Hoover. His parents said they remain hopeful he will be found safely, and Nancy said, "We're continuing to get closer and closer to finding him."

Kyoto area on May 29

According to Facebook posts from his mother, Weston was last confirmed to have been in the Kyoto area of Japan on May 29. The family has kept asking the public to continue sharing awareness posts while the search remains ongoing.

Friends, family members, and community supporters gathered Tuesday evening at Asbury United Methodist Church in Shelby County for a prayer vigil in his honor. That public support has become part of the search effort itself, with the family pointing to online sharing as a way to reach people in Japan who may recognize him.