Who is Daniel Robinson? Everything we know about the missing geologist so far, as police provide update

It has been three months since geologist Daniel Robinson was first reported missing on 23 June 2021. He was last seen by his coworkers before leaving his jobsite near Sun Valley Parkway in Buckeye, Arizona.

The confusing circumstances of the case sparked theories of foul play and claims of police delay. Following the initial missing report, authorities organized a huge search operation spanning across 70 square miles.

Several on-ground personnel, drones, UTVs, helicopters and cadaver dogs were involved in the search alongside a professional private investigator hired by Daniel's father.

Nearly a month after the unsolved investigation, the missing geologist's Jeep Renegade was discovered in a narrow gorge near the place he was last seen. Officials reported that the car underwent severe damage, and they found Daniel Robinson's phone, wallet, keys and clothes inside the vehicle.

On Thursday, 23 September 2021, the police provided an updated report about the ongoing case. The update highlighted details of the investigation, including reports prior to the disappearance.

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All about missing geologist Daniel Robinson

Daniel was a 24-year-old geologist based in Phoenix, Arizona (Image via Twitter/PleaseHelpFind4)

Daniel Robinson is a 24-year-old geologist from Columbia, South Carolina. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in archeology.

He later moved to Phoenix after getting a job at Matrix New World Engineering. Daniel reportedly worked in remote desert areas with extreme weather conditions.

Unfortunately, the geologist went missing earlier this year. He was reportedly a smiling, happy-go-lucky person, who always loved to talk to people, according to his colleagues.

Daniel has been described as a 5'8" African-American man with brown eyes and a missing part of his right forearm including his hand.

According to his family's GoFundMe page, Daniel Robinson was a travel enthusiast and held a passion for adventure. He always communicated with his siblings and maintained consistent contact with his family.

His father, David Robinson II, traveled to Arizona from South Carolina to be at the forefront of his son's missing investigation.

As per the latest police report, Daniel Robinson showed signs of strange behavior prior to his disappearance. His family has reportedly revealed that some of his comments were odd and a few of his actions were erratic weeks before we went missing.

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Daniel Robinson's mysterious disappearance and ongoing investigation explained

Daniel Robinson's GoFundMe Page (Image via GoFundMe)

Daniel Robinson reportedly went to access a drill site in the Arizona desert with his coworker Ken Elliot on the day of his disappearance. The latter was also the last person to see him before he went missing.

In an interview with The Independent, Mr. Elliot mentioned that Daniel's condition suddenly changed from normal to distracted:

"He was just looking off into the desert; he had a very, very distant look in his eyes. Whenever he’d turn around again, I would look at him and look into his eyes- the first thing I thought was maybe it was drugs or something [but] his pupils were not dilated."

He also described his last encounter with the geologist:

"He just turned around and walked back over to his Jeep, and I just assumed he was going to get something out of his vehicle. And he opened the door, got in, sat down, put on his seatbelt, then he looked at me and just waved at me and backed up and took off.”

He even mentioned that he saw Daniel Robinson drive deeper into the desert with his Jeep:

“When I saw that, my heart sank, because it just told me that he wasn’t going home. Something was really not right.”

Meanwhile, Daniel's father told the outlet that a missing report was filed hours after the family failed to reach him over the phone:

"We didn’t know what was going on; we know Dan does not ignore his phone calls. I can imagine his phone ringing, ringing, ringing for I think almost a day– and then finally I guess the phone died or somebody cut it off. After that point, it goes straight to the voicemail.”

The family hired former police personnel Jeff McGrath the day the Buckeye Police Department recovered Daniel's vehicle from the desert. In addition to his belongings, the private investigator reportedly found the car's GPS data.

It showed that the jeep suffered multiple accidents after Daniel Robinson's disappearance. There was also evidence of a "paint transfer" in the car.

According to The Sun, the first crash happened four hours after the disappearance before being driven a further 11 miles. The ignition reportedly turned 46 times in total. On July 31, a human skull was found near the site of the abandoned jeep, but further examination revealed that it did not belong to Daniel or any other missing person.

The latest police report also revealed Daniel's alleged odd behavior with a woman he met during a food delivery side job. It was mentioned that the latter initially welcomed the geologist to her residence during a June 12 delivery. However, he repeatedly visited the women's house following the initial visit without her consent.

He went on to announce to his family that he was in love with the women. Police also discovered one-sided text messages from Daniel expressing his feelings for the stranger.

His family has also mentioned that several of Daniel's Instagram photos were deleted after his disappearance.

The Robinson family also claimed there had been a lack of interest from officials in the case that caused delays in the investigation. David Robinson wrote a petition to the police department addressing the delay:

"From the first day that I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, I have done more to find my son than the law enforcement agency, whose jurisdictional authority covers where he was last seen and where his vehicle was recovered."

However, he is still determined to continue the fight to find his son. In an interview with CBS5 he mentioned:

"I don't have all the resources in the world, so I had to make a decision on what I need to do. But I'm fighting, fighting to stay as long as I can."

As his son continues to remain missing, authorities have also continued to keep their search investigation operational. Daniel Robinson's family have also organized a fundraiser to cover expenses related to the investigation and are seeking public cooperation to solve the mysterious case.