The Disappearance of Daniel Robinson

September 14, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On June 23, 2021, 24-year-old Daniel Robinson drove to a work site in the Arizona desert outside Buckeye, arriving around 9:30 AM. It was raining hard, so he and a co-worker took shelter. At some point, the co-worker noticed Daniel staring off into the desert with a distant look. Then, without saying a word, Daniel got into his Jeep and drove away—not toward the main road back to the city, but deeper into the desert. He has not been seen since.

A Young Man Who Never Gave Up

Daniel Robinson was born missing the lower portion of his right arm, just below the elbow. He never let this define what he could do. He played football and basketball, played trumpet in his school band, and met every challenge with enthusiasm. When people asked why he was born that way, he would say, "That's the way God made me." After graduating with a degree in geology from the College of Charleston, he moved to Phoenix for a job as a hydrogeologist. To make ends meet, he also drove for Instacart in the evenings. His family described him as driven, optimistic, and future-oriented.

Warning Signs Before the Disappearance

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What you'll learn

1 (07:45) **Introduction to the Disappearance of Daniel Robinson** - The hosts introduce the case, explain they will mention Gabby Petito only for context, and state that Daniel has been missing since 2021.
2 (09:18) **Daniel's Background and Character** - Daniel is described as a driven, confident young man who never let being born without a lower right arm stop him from achieving anything.
3 (11:31) **Financial Struggles and Second Job** - Daniel's entry-level job didn't pay enough, forcing him to take a second job driving for Instacart, which was exhausting but seen as temporary.
4 (12:29) **The Day of Disappearance: June 23, 2021** - Daniel drove to a remote desert work site near Buckeye, Arizona, arriving around 9:30 AM during heavy rain.
5 (14:17) **Initial Search and Concerning Findings** - By 2:30 PM, Daniel hadn't been heard from, and Elliot was asked to search the area. He found tracks leading left into the desert instead of right toward the city.
6 (16:30) **Reporting Missing and the Dangers of the Desert** - Daniel's parents reported him missing that night, but the Buckeye police initially did little due to the short time frame.
7 (18:06) **Mid-Episode Ad Break** - Advertisements for SimpliSafe, The Love Hypothesis, and State Farm.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Anyone with any knowledge of his disappearance is encouraged to reach out to the family through their 24/7 tip line at 844-602-0660, or to the Buckeye Police Department at 623-349-6411.

When twenty-four-year-old geologist Daniel Robinson left work on the morning of June 23, 2021, no one knew where he was going or why he was leaving work so early; they only noticed that he was driving west, further into the desert. The unexpected departure was out of character for Robinson, so when he failed to return that afternoon and no one had heard from him outside of work, his disappearance was reported to the police.

Days soon turned to weeks and there was still no sign of Daniel. Then, in late July, a month after he went missing, Daniel’s Jeep was found rolled over and crashed in a ravine some distance from the job site. The airbags in the car had both deployed and there was significant damage to the vehicle, but there was no sign of Daniel Robinson, turning a relatively routine missing person case into a bizarre mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

References

Beresford, Jack. 2021. Gabby Petito Case Sparks Appeal Over Unsolved Disappearance of Arizona Man. September 20. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://www.newsweek.com/gabby-petito-case-appeal-unsolved-disappearance-arizona-man-daniel-robinson-1630758.

Cardoba Perez, Angela, and Perry Vandell. 2022. "Geologist remains missing one year later." Arizona Republic, June 24: 4.

Ellis, Nicquel Terry. 2024. "Turning tragedy into purpose: Gabby Petito's father advocates for missing Black and brown people." CNN, December 24.

Encinas, Amaris. 2021. "Family still searching for missing 24-year-old." Arizona Republic, September 21: 3.

Galka, Matt, and Brent Corrado. 2021. Investigators release new details about crash leading up to geologist's disappearance. November 4. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/daniel-robinson-investigators-release-new-details-about-crash-leading-up-to-geologists-disappearance.

Gonzalez, Jose. 2023. "Police reveal new casework on missing Tempe geologist." Arizona Republic, June 2: 12.

Hardle, Alexandra. 2024. "How a missing son led Robinson to a run for Congress." Arizona Republic, March 20: B3.

Jaafari, Joseph Darius. 2021. "Who crashed car belonging to missing geologist?" Arizona Republic, October 6: 1.

Jensen, Audrey. 2021. "Search continues for man last seen in Buckeye." Arizona Republic, July 11: A4.

2023. Disappeared. Directed by Ricky Lewis.

Sarup, Eshaan. 2023. "New information on Daniel Robinson, who has been missing since 2021." Arizona Republic, October 13: 10.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/