My name is David Robinson II, and I am the father of the geologist Daniel Robinson, who has been missing in Buckeye, Arizona, since June 23, 2021. From the first day 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. The Buckeye PD investigation has not gathered any evidence of its own. They are unwilling to move beyond their theory, which leads to non-action on their part. This petition is another step in holding the Buckeye Police Department accountable to ensure this case is taken seriously.

     We have done a total of forty-nine searches that have recovered human remains, hopefully bringing closure to other families. My public searches are coming to their completion, and the Buckeye Police Department has a responsibility to continue. This petition will ensure that this happens.

     My family is highly interested in the investigation's outcome, seeing that everything that needs to be done is done to bring my son, her son, their brother, their nephew, their grandchild, and their cousin home. Since most of my family cannot be here to talk directly to the Buckeye Police Department, this petition gives them the ability to have their voices heard. Daniel's family will feel empowered knowing they have the community's support and an agreed-upon desire to see that everything is being done to find Daniel.

    So far, in 2024, Arizona has over 1,000 people missing, according to the NAMUS Database. Arizona ranks #4 in the country with the most missing people each year. Organizations like NameUs rely on public input and have about 1,300 unidentified persons. This is without knowing the total number of the FBI's National Crime Information Center. Missing Persons is a growing problem for Arizonians. The other problem is knowing that many families never get closure and feel that they didn't get an urgent response from the law enforcement office with jurisdiction of their case.

    It appears that some Police Department lacks the training to effectively conduct searches for missing persons. Hopefully, this petition can start the process of having funds reallocated to programs that focus solely on Missing Persons, Missing and Exploited Children, and identifying remains found in the desert.  Arizona is among the unique places with natural conditions that wreak havoc on the remains of a human's body. If a missing person finds themselves in a desert situation, their rescue must be swift. Unfortunately, police officers are not equipped or appropriately trained to rescue and recover a missing person. This petition is needed so that the community can move towards a solid resolution to the growing problem in Arizona and the country.

     We want to change Daniel’s investigation from a missing person to a criminal one. This change in investigation status will allow the Police Department to use the evidence obtained to seek warrants. Daniel went missing from his job site on June 23, 2021, and his Jeep Renegade was found about two miles from his said job site on July 20, 2021. Since my son was reported missing, the Buckeye Police Department has done very little. Before the vehicle was found, they did one confirmed search, including where my son was last seen and where my son's vehicle would have been discovered. Those two searches resulted in no findings of any kind. Since then, the public searches I created have recovered about six human remains in the same areas that the Buckeye Police Department said they thoroughly searched for my son. With the coordination of my private investigator, my searches later recovered evidence that backed up the data taken from the vehicle's black box. The problem is the Buckeye Detectives told me that the data showed that my son was driving over 30 + mph at the point of impact, and all the airbags were deployed because of the rollover. However, when my investigator read the information provided by the Buckeye PD, he found that the vehicle was traveling under 30 mph. In addition, he found that the car was also cranked over 46 times after the initial impact, causing the deployment of the airbags. The vehicle was driven eleven miles after the initial crash and airbag deployment; the damage on the Jeep was not consistent with where the vehicle was found, nor did it match the terrain of the desert where it was found. Unfortunately, the Buckeye detectives did not know how to read their own pulled data, or they were intentionally trying to mislead me. The shortcomings of the Buckeye Police Department have been plentiful. Unfortunately, I have found that they have lied or approached the investigation in a nonchalant manner on several occasions. 

     The evidence is clear that this should be changed to a criminal investigation because my private investigator found that my son's vehicle was staged and a possible crime had occurred. To date, no warrants have been sought for my son. The Buckeye Police Department refuses to change its theory and wants to continue in a missing person direction. Based on the evidence, this is unacceptable, and the Buckeye Police Department must be held accountable!

I am currently asking the Buckeye Police Department to release my son's case over to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Daniel went missing in Maricopa County, and the Sheriff's Office has some jurisdictional responsibility for my son's case. I am also asking the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Penzone, to investigate my son's disappearance independently. It would bring fresh eyes into my son's case that could give answers to the whereabouts and what happened to him. 

I also think there should be an investigation into how the Buckeye Police Department has handled my son's case. There should be an investigation of how the chain of custody of evidence has been broken and mishandling of evidence that may be needed later to convict if my son is a victim of foul play. 

I need your support in my efforts for justice for Daniel and my advocacy to change laws and policies that govern handling missing person cases. 

Please add your voice to this petition. It helps when I approach officials who can make changes. 

Thank you - David Robinson II