David Robinson has spent the past three months in Arizona. Feeling abandoned by police and ignored by national media, the South Carolina father assembled his own team of private investigators and volunteer search crews.
"We conducted seven weeks of searches without assistance from the Buckeye Police Department including searches with cadaver dogs, drones, and fixed-wing aircraft," he said.
Robinson believes his 24-year-old son Daniel Robinson would have been found by now if he had more help from law enforcement. Robinson disappeared on June 23 after leaving a worksite in Buckeye.
David Robinson hired private investigator Jeff McGrath after a rancher found Daniel's Jeep crashed in a ravine in the desert in July. McGrath specializes in accident reconstruction.
"The airbag control module tells us the story of what happened with that vehicle five seconds before, all the way up to when the airbags come out. It does not match that ravine," McGrath said.
Because Robinson's clothing and belongings were found nearby, Buckeye Police ruled out foul play.
"I found one of Daniel's socks three miles away. There should be a secondary crime scene. I can't rule out foul play, I don't know how Buckeye can," McGrath, who is also a former police detective, said.
Newly released police reports show family, friends, and colleagues told police the missing geologist wasn't acting himself in the days leading up to his disappearance.
But none indicated they thought he may harm himself. Robinson's father believes the Gabby Petito case gave his son's case renewed attention, this time in the national spotlight.
"It took an unfortunate missing person case that captured the nation's attention that my son had a shot at being seen and heard," David Robinson said.
Robinson's father ended by saying the Petito case should be a template of how all missing persons cases are handled in this country.
