Search operation for missing geologist comes up empty for Buckeye police

BUCKEYE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- A search operation for Daniel Robinson, a geologist who went missing a year and a half ago, didn’t reveal any new clues or evidence for Buckeye police. Investigators say on Jan. 27, officers received a tip that there were human remains inside a well half a mile north where Robinson was last seen. On Feb. 9, a company scoped the well to see what was inside. Four days later, another company used heavy machinery to reach the bottom of the well, nearly 1,000 feet deep. No human remains were found, police said.

On Saturday, Buckeye police and Maricopa County deputies continued searching the desert area of Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road, where Robinson was last seen on June 23, 2021. Sixty law enforcement officers, three K-9 teams, five ATV crews, four ground teams, six horses from the Mounted Unit, and a drone operator were all out looking for clues that may help in Robinson’s disappearance. Nothing was found, investigators said.

Robinson was last spotted at his worksite, and three weeks later, his Jeep was found crashed in a ravine three miles away. Robinson’s father, David, has been searching for his son and leading volunteers on searches through the Buckeye desert. David says his son’s case isn’t cold, stressing there are leads, other locations, and information to investigate.

After 45 + weeks of searching in the Sonoran desert for my son, this organized search comes with a heavy weight. There are leads, other locations, and information to investigate; not cold. I need continued support. I'm fighting for my son, Daniel's justice. #danielrobinson
— David Robinson II (@DavidRobinsonII) February 21, 2023

The search for Robinson has led investigators and volunteers to find human remains in remote areas. On Jan. 7, a skull and bones were found in the desert, but Robinson’s father said it wasn’t Daniel. In Nov. 2021, a skull was found as a search party was looking for the missing geologist, but DNA results showed it wasn’t him.