Arizona geologist Daniel Robinson still missing 4 years later
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - June 23, 2025, marks four years since geologist Daniel Robinson went missing in the Buckeye desert.
What we know:
The 24-year-old was last seen in June 2021 leaving his worksite near Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road around 9 a.m. A month later, his Jeep and some belongings were found, but he has not been seen or heard from since.
A co-worker, who was the last person to see him, says Robinson was acting odd. He reportedly asked the co-worker if he wanted to go back to Phoenix, but then waived goodbye and left.
Robinson's father, David Robinson, remains committed to finding out what happened to his son.
What they're saying:
David filed a missing persons report for his son hours after he went missing.
Despite hiring a private investigator, organizing several searches and raising awareness, he still doesn't have any answers about what happened.
"I'm doing everything I can humanly possible to find my son," he said on June 23. "I'm a father, you know. It's impossible for me to think in my mind that I'm going to give up on my son. I can't just do that."
David is not giving up. He led the most recent search on April 12, 2025.
"It was a successful search, but we did not find Daniel, of course, but we were able to cover a lot of ground and follow up on leads," he said.
Over the years, he says they've found several human remains. Buckeye Police confirmed that two sets of human remains have been found.
None belong to Daniel.
While in Arizona, David says he sat down with the Buckeye Police Department. He met with the new detective working on his son's case, which he feels is an opportunity for a restart.
"At this point, storing all of Daniel's … storing the airbags, storing the vehicle itself, the clothing at the scene … we wanted to get those things forensically tested because we know that when all the airbags deployed, that means someone is sitting on the passenger side," David said.
Buckeye Police confirmed all the airbags deployed in Daniel's Jeep, but have not found any evidence to confirm there was a passenger riding with him.
The department wrote in their investigation overview that foul play is not suspected.
On top of working with the police, David also collaborated with Arizona lawmakers.
"The fact that I was able to work with Arizona state senators to try to craft some legislation, to talk to telecommunications companies, I gained a great deal of knowledge about why sometimes we are not able to find our loved ones quickly. That boosted me to run for U.S. Congress. I did in 2024, and I'm going to do it again in 2026," David said.
On Saturday, June 28, there will be a candlelight vigil at South Carolina's state capitol where Daniel's family lives.
Daniel Robinson. Photo courtesy of David Robinson II
On June 23, the Buckeye Police Department released a statement.
"Buckeye police are committed to locating Daniel Robinson and getting answers for his loved ones and the many people who have become deeply invested in his case. Detectives continue to investigate every tip and lead and urge anyone with information on Daniel’s whereabouts to contact us. This missing person case remains open until we find Daniel."
Map of the area where Robinson was last seen
What you can do:
Click here to see Buckeye PD's timeline of events in Robinson's disappearance.
Click here if you'd like to report any information on this case.