What Happened to Daniel Robinson?

Remains found on September 19, 2021, were confirmed to belong to missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito who disappeared while hiking with her boyfriend in Wyoming earlier this month. This case is the “case of the hour” if you will, leaving other cases like that of Daniel Robinson on the backburner.

Who is Daniel Robinson?

Daniel is a 24-year-old geologist who relocated from South Carolina to Arizona for a field job who went missing from the Buckeye desert on June 23, 2021. His family described him as an outspoken, smart and adventurous young man who loved the outdoors.

He was last seen leaving the job site that day. Robinson drove his blue/gray 2017 Jeep Renegade near Cactus Road.

Jeep Renegade Found

No one knows why Robinson left the job site that day or where he was headed but he has not been seen or heard from since that day.

Police did recover the Jeep Renegade, wrecked, near a ravine on July 19, 2021. The vehicle had been wrecked more than once. The airbags had been deployed.

Robinson’s personal effects, including wallet, cell phone, keys, and clothing, were located inside the Jeep. A sock found three miles from the Jeep belonged to Robinson.

On July 31, 2021, police found a skull they thought belonged to Robinson. Testing later confirmed that it did not belong to Robinson.

Data Gathered From Jeep Black Box

Data gathered from the Jeep’s black box showed that the vehicle had been driven 11 miles after the initial crash. Several crashes occurred that day. The data also showed that the Jeep had been “cranked” more than 40 times after the initial crash. Investigators think someone repeatedly tried to start the engine.

Due to the extensive damage sustained to Robinson’s vehicles, investigators ruled out the possibility of foul play. His father disagreed with that decision.

Robinson relocated to Phoenix for his job in the geology field. This position often took him to remote locations in the desert, leaving him face-to-face with extreme conditions and uncertain circumstances.

The 5’8” Robinson has short black hair and brown eyes. He weighs 165-lbs. and is missing part of an arm.

GoFundMe

Robinson’s father, David, has set up a GoFundMe page to help with legal expenses related to his son’s disappearance as well as an online petition urging his workplace to look into the disappearance closer. He is not happy with the progression of the case and has hired a private investigator to help determine the whereabouts of or what happened to his son.

“The Buckeye Police Department is still working on the case,” David Robinson said. “They found the vehicle, but they didn’t do a forensic-type investigation, because they didn’t see any blood in the vehicle.

“They didn’t swab for DNA or some of the typical things they would do in some type of investigation,” the worried patriarch told West Valley View. “I expressed these concerns, and they decided — because of that — to swab the vehicle to look for fingerprints at the police compound where the vehicle is stored.”

“The narrative that’s out there is my son just walked off on his own,” David Robinson said. “Of course, as a family, we don’t agree with that. We’re still working out some things.”

If you have information about David Robinson, call the Buckey Police Department at 623-249-6400. You can also use the contact us form on this page. https://www.buckeyeaz.gov/residents/police/contact-us