Father of missing Buckeye geologist Daniel Robinson pauses desert searches

BUCKEYE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- The father of a geologist who went missing in Buckeye last summer is temporarily pausing search efforts to find his son. David Robinson, the father of Daniel Robinson, tweeted on Monday night that desert search parties would be on hold due to budget restraints.

“I will not stop searching and will continue to do so. I want those who search with me to have a safer environment, better equipment, and complete organization while looking. I love each one of them and hope to see my extended family when I resume my search. Pray for me,” the tweet read.

He has been vocal about the search for his son Daniel since he went missing over ten months ago. David tweeted the pauses will be able to let the group restructure search efforts. Previously, he tweeted a video of a search on April 17, saying additional volunteers had come out to search for his son. For months, he and other volunteers have scoured the Buckeye desert near Daniel’s job site. In early March, family and friends held a candlelight ceremony for Daniel in front of the Arizona State Capitol.

David drove to Arizona from the east coast after his son went missing from his geology job site near Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road in Buckeye last summer. His jeep was found crashed about three weeks after. Since then, David has led organized desert searches with volunteers several times a month. They’ve found bones that belonged to others, but never Daniel’s. In December, the family expanded the search to Phoenix and Goodyear.

“My son may still be alive out there somewhere,” said David.

David said he relies on GoFundMe dollars to keep his own investigation and searches up, and he says the reality is that those funds have run out. “The operations search, the organized search, is on pause for now,” he said.

He said while searches are on hold for now, he is focusing on a different part of the investigation with items found at the jeep crash site. “One of the biggest parts for me right now is to get the forensics work done for everything else that I found,” David said. “Clothing, my son’s wallet, his cell phone, there another cell phone that was found out there during my searches that cell phone, his personal computer and work computer.”

David said he’s taking his efforts to the next level; he filed a 501C3 Tuesday to launch ‘The Daniel Robinson Foundation’ where he hopes he can not only raise more money for his own investigation but can also provide funding to other families dealing with missing loved ones.

“The goal is to help other families not go through what I have been through just to get to this point,” he said.

While the Buckeye Police Department has not found evidence of foul play at this point, David said he still believes something criminal happened and said he would stay living in Arizona to see his son’s case through.

“I’m here until I find my son. That’s what the goal is; that’s what I’m really fighting. I’m doing anything I can to make sure that happens. I think any father, any mother would do the same,” David said.

Buckeye Police said Daniel’s case is still an active and ongoing investigation. They’re still working on conducting new interviews, looking at satellite imagery, checking financial activity, and working on forensics and targeted searches in the area.

If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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