On the morning of June 23, 2021, twenty-four-year-old geologist Daniel Robinson left his worksite near Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road in Buckeye, Arizona. A coworker — someone Daniel had only just met that day — said Daniel waved goodbye, climbed into his blue-gray 2017 Jeep Renegade, and drove off into the Sonoran Desert.
He has never been seen again.
Who Is Daniel Robinson?
Daniel Robinson was born on January 14, 1997, in Columbia, South Carolina. He was born without his lower right arm — a detail his family has always been clear was never a limitation. His father, retired Army veteran David Robinson II, raised Daniel to see it as something that made him unique, not something that held him back. And Daniel lived that way. He was adventurous, confident, and social. He could make friends anywhere.
After graduating from the College of Charleston with a degree in geology, Daniel relocated to the Phoenix area to pursue a career as a field geologist, working for engineering company Matrix New World. He was building a life in Arizona — making plans with family, exploring the desert landscape he worked in every day, and looking ahead.
Then, in an instant, all of that stopped.
The Day He Disappeared
According to the last known person to see Daniel, a worker named Ken who was employed by Webber Water Works, Daniel arrived at a remote well site in Buckeye around 9:00 AM on June 23, 2021. The two spoke briefly about the weather before Daniel got back into his Jeep and drove away, believed to be heading west — deeper into the desert.
Daniel’s father, David, reported him missing that evening. But what followed was not an immediate, large-scale search. Nearly a month passed before Daniel’s Jeep Renegade was discovered.
The Jeep in the Ravine
On July 19, 2021, a local rancher found Daniel’s Jeep rolled over on its side in a roughly 20-foot ravine on his property, approximately four miles from the worksite where Daniel was last seen. The vehicle had sustained significant damage. All airbags — including the passenger-side airbag — had deployed. Evidence in the vehicle suggested the driver had been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
But that’s where the picture starts to fracture.
Scattered around the Jeep, roughly three feet away, were Daniel’s personal belongings: his cell phone, wallet, keys — and his clothes. Everything he had been wearing that day, from his outer layers down to his underwear and socks, was found at the scene.
Daniel was not.
11 Miles That Don’t Add Up
A crash data analysis of Daniel’s Jeep uncovered a detail that continues to haunt this case. According to the vehicle’s internal systems, the Jeep had been driven approximately eleven miles after the airbags deployed. The vehicle also recorded more than 40 ignition cycles following the crash — meaning someone attempted to restart the vehicle or use its electrical systems dozens of times after impact.
Police have suggested the ignition cycles could be partially attributed to tow recovery and data extraction by investigators. The 11-mile odometer discrepancy was characterized as “not unusual” by the Buckeye Police Department.
But for Daniel’s family — and for many following this case — those explanations have never been enough.
Private investigator Jeff McGrath, a retired police officer specializing in collision evidence, examined the case and concluded the crash may have been deliberately staged. According to the family, McGrath’s analysis raised further questions about whether Daniel was actually the one driving the Jeep at the time of the crash.
The Phone Data
In 2023, the Buckeye Police Department released updated findings in the case. Detectives had uncovered location data from Daniel’s cell phone that placed the device at the crash site at approximately 10:05 AM on the morning he disappeared. The phone stopped pinging at 10:30 AM.
However, a witness identified only as “Bill” claimed to have seen Daniel later that morning, around 11:30 AM, near the Hassayampa River bottom. Police have cast doubt on this account, noting that digital evidence from Daniel’s vehicle and electronic devices does not match the timeline provided by the witness. The updated report also raised questions about the witness’s claim to have a law enforcement background.
Daniel’s other electronic devices were forensically analyzed but did not produce information that could help locate him. Detectives indicated they would continue examining raw data for potential leads.
A Father’s Fight
When Daniel disappeared, his father David Robinson didn’t wait for answers to come to him. He drove over 2,000 miles from South Carolina to Arizona and launched his own search efforts in the Sonoran Desert — one of the most unforgiving landscapes in the country. Over the course of approximately 50 weeks of organized searches, David scoured the desert looking for any trace of his son.
Along the way, David made a devastating and remarkable discovery: he located the remains of other missing individuals during his searches for Daniel. Even while searching for his own son, he was bringing closure to other families.
David’s advocacy has extended far beyond the desert. He has collaborated with other high-profile missing persons families, including the family of Gabby Petito, and has pushed for systemic reform in how missing persons cases are handled in the United States.
His efforts helped inspire the “Help Find Missing Americans Act,” also known as the Daniel Robinson Law, legislation introduced in South Carolina by Senator Russell Ott. The bill would require wireless companies to release cell phone location data and call records to primary account holders when a loved one goes missing — addressing the exact barrier David faced when trying to access Daniel’s phone records during the critical early days of the investigation.
David Robinson is also running for U.S. Congress in South Carolina’s Second Congressional District in 2026, carrying the cause of the estimated 600,000 Americans who go missing every year.
What We Know — And What We Don’t
The Buckeye Police Department maintains that Daniel’s case remains open and active. Foul play has not been officially suspected, though the department has stated it is committed to locating Daniel and providing answers. A new detective and team have been assigned to the case, along with a new police chief — a development David has described as feeling like a reset.
But the questions remain.
Why were Daniel’s clothes found removed and scattered near the vehicle? What accounts for the 11-mile discrepancy on the odometer after the airbags deployed? Why were all airbags — including the passenger side — triggered? Who or what was responsible for the 40-plus ignition cycles after the crash? And where is Daniel Robinson?
These are not questions with comfortable answers. And they are not questions that should be allowed to fade.
How You Can Help
Daniel Robinson has been missing since June 23, 2021. He was 24 years old at the time of his disappearance. He is approximately 5’8″ and was born without his lower right arm — a distinguishing physical characteristic.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Daniel Robinson, please reach out:
- Buckeye Police Department Tip Line: (623) 349-6411
- Family Tip Line: (844) 602-0660
- Website: pleasehelpfinddaniel.com
You can also submit tips online through the Buckeye Police Department or the family’s website.
Share this episode. Share Daniel’s name. The desert may be vast, but silence is what makes cases go cold — and Daniel’s voice deserves to be heard.
This blog post accompanies the Vanished Voices podcast episode “11 Miles After Impact: The Vanishing of Daniel Robinson.” Listen to Daniel’s Episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts! Vanished Voices is dedicated to amplifying under-covered missing persons and true crime cases. If you or someone you know has information about Daniel or any missing person, please contact the appropriate authorities.
Have thoughts on this story or other cases you’d like to see highlighted? Share them with us in the comments or connect with us on social media. Together, we can ensure that stories like this one are never forgotten.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media, @VanishedVoicesPod, share your thoughts, and let us know what you’d like to hear about in future episodes. If you have any true crime stories of your own, send them our way Vanishedvoicespodcast@gmail.com to be featured on a future episode! And as always, Refuse to let these voices vanish. See you in the next episode of Vanished Voices!
Resources:
ABC15 Arizona. (2021, September 23). Family continues search for Daniel Robinson, who went missing in June. WCIV. Family continues search for Daniel Robinson, who went missing in June
Buckeye Police Department. (n.d.). The Daniel Robinson investigation overview. City of Buckeye. The Daniel Robinson Investigation Overview | City of Buckeye
Emerson, A. (2026, March 11). “It’s not a cold case” — Father makes 2,000-mile journey to search for missing son. Criminally Obsessed / KATV. “It’s Not A Cold Case”: Father makes 2,000-Mile journey to search for missing son
FOX 10 Phoenix. (2023, June 1). Details on missing Daniel Robinson case made public by Buckeye Police, investigation continues. FOX 10 Phoenix. Details on missing Daniel Robinson case made public by Buckeye Police, investigation continues | FOX 10 Phoenix
Franklin, J. (2024, June 29). Daniel Robinson vanished 3 years ago. His father still hopes for his safe return. NPR. Daniel Robinson vanished 3 years ago. His father still hopes for his safe return
KTAR News. (2023, June 6). Buckeye police release new information on Daniel Robinson case. KTAR. Buckeye police release new information on Daniel Robinson case
NBC News / Dateline. (n.d.). Father travels cross country to search for son Daniel Robinson, missing in Arizona. NBC News. Father travels cross-country to search for son Daniel Robinson missing from Arizona job site since June
NewsNation. (2023, June 7). Police release new information in search for Daniel Robinson. NewsNation. Police release new information in search for Daniel Robinson
Robinson, D., II. (n.d.). Please help find Daniel Robinson. Please Help Find Daniel. PleaseHelpFindDaniel
Sorace, S. (2021, November 4). Missing Arizona geologist: New details released in disappearance of Daniel Robinson. Fox News. Missing Arizona geologist: New details released in disappearance of Daniel Robinson | Fox News
Sorace, S. (2025, July 19). Army vet’s search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance. Fox News. Army vet’s search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance
The Cold Cases. (2025, December 29). Help Find Missing Americans Act inspired by Daniel Robinson. The Cold Cases. Help Find Missing Americans Act inspired by Daniel Robinson
12 News / KPNX. (n.d.). New details released in Daniel Robinson case. 12 News. Nearly 2 years after Daniel Robinson went missing, police share update in case
12 News / KPNX. (2025, June 23). 4 years later: A father’s search for missing geologist Daniel Robinson continues. 12 News. Search for missing geologist Daniel Robinson continues | 12news.com
West Valley View. (2021, July). Dad says, ‘I have to find my son.’ West Valley View. Dad says, ‘I have to find my son’ | News | westvalleyview.com
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Disappearance of Daniel Robinson. Wikipedia. Disappearance of Daniel Robinson – Wikipedia
WRHI. (2025, December 24). SC bill aims to fast-track cell data access in missing persons cases. WRHI. SC Bill Aims to Fast-Track Cell Data Access in Missing Persons Cases – WRHI
WSPA. (2025, December 26). SC bill would give families access to missing persons’ phone data. WSPA. SC bill would give families access to missing persons’ phone data
Yahoo News / Arizona Republic. (n.d.). Private investigator releases new findings in unsolved missing geologist case. Yahoo News. Private investigator releases new findings in unsolved missing geologist case