Identified: Human remains, including a skull, found in remote desert area of Buckeye

BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Buckeye Police say human remains were found in a remote area of the desert on Saturday, Jan. 7 and weeks later, we have a name.

Among the remains, police say a skull and other bones were found near Johnson Road and Southern Avenue around 1 p.m.

"Investigators are currently processing the scene. The remains will be turned over to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office for forensic examination and identification," police said previously.

On Jan. 25, police said the remains belong to 35-year-old Juan Fierro.

When the community hears of human remains being found in Buckeye, minds tend to go to the disappearance of Arizona geologist Daniel Robinson.

Police say Daniel arrived at his job site near Cactus Road and Sun Valley Parkway on June 6 in 2021. He was last seen driving a 2017 Jeep Renegade, which has since been found. Daniel, according to investigators, did not tell anyone where he was going or why he was leaving.

Investigators say they learned from family, friends and co-workers that Daniel's behavior in the days prior to his disappearance was "not like himself at time," but there was no indication he wished to harm himself or leave the area.

He hasn't been found since.