18 hours Ago By [email protected] (Nicole Krasean)
Photo courtesy of David Robinson II The search for missing Valley Geologist Daniel Robinson resumed on Saturday, April 12. Joining the search party was Joseph Petito, the father of Gabby Petito who went missing in 2021 and was found dead in Wyoming after a nation-wide search. Joseph and Robinson's father David Robinson II, have formed a bond in the despair of having to search for their beloved missing children.
BUCKEYE, Ariz. - Someone familiar with missing persons cases joined the search for Daniel Robinson, the Valley Geologist who went missing in 2021. The father of Gabby Petito was there on Saturday, April 12 as Robinson's family and friends resumed the search.
Petito, the young girl killed by her boyfriend during a cross-country trip, also went missing in 2021. Her body was found in Wyoming. What they're saying: Joseph Petito says he understands the pain David Robinson II, the father of Daniel, feels.
But Petito says he got answers in Gabby's case within weeks, whereas David has been waiting for nearly four years. Nearly four years after Daniel Robinson went missing near a work site in Buckeye, Ariz. his father David holds out hope for answers in his case.
"I'm his father, so I'm gonna be here always to make sure that I'm continuing to fight and advocating for him and find the justice that he deserves," said David. Roughly 50 volunteers showed up this morning near Sun Valley Parkway and Rosewood Avenue in Buckeye as part of a three-part search. "There's the line search that I just mentioned.
We have the Buckeye Police Department on ground to search a specific location that's based on a tip, and we have the Arizona Rangers working out west to search," said David. Featured Details on missing Daniel Robinson case made public by Buckeye Police, investigation continues The Buckeye Police Department released an updated missing persons report for geologist Daniel Robinson who disappeared in June 2021. In the updated report, investigators released information not yet previously made public.
Big picture view: Among those volunteers, Joseph Petito whose daughter's case dominated national headlines after she went missing in August 2021, while traveling across the country with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. It's believed she was killed by Laundrie who then reportedly died by suicide in Florida. Joseph Petito says he's been wanting to join the search for Daniel for a while after seeing the strength and devotion David has.
"It's inspirational, the amount of energy it takes to do what he does with the heartache and the unknowing that goes on every day," said Petito. "I've been telling him for years I really want to get out there and I saw this one coming up and I was like 'I don't care what the schedule is, I'm coming for ya buddy'." The two fathers are both part of a group no parent wants to be in.
Joseph, hoping for a different ending for the Robinsons than the one his family got. Overall, both are just hoping they get answers. "There's never gonna be closure on the death of a child, but there is starting the grieving process properly, and David hasn't been able to do that yet.
Hopefully Daniel is found safe, but if the worst does come true, that's when that grieving process will come true for David and his family," said Petito. Featured Daniel Robinson: Father holds virtual vigil to mark 2-year anniversary of son's disappearance It has been two years since a Phoenix area geologist went missing, and on the two-year anniversary of Daniel Robinson's disappearance, his father held a virtual vigil to recognize his son, as well as dozens of other missing people in the U.S.
Local perspective: David, meanwhile, continues his relentless plans to bring Daniel home. "I look at this 50th search as possibly being one of the latter searches that I have out in the desert. What I'm trying to do is collect information with the Buckeye Police Department, who is now checking a lot of the forensic work and we can see if it's feasible for us to come back out to the desert and if so, what area we need to approach next," said Robinson.
What you can do: If you have any information related to the disappearance of Daniel Robinson, please contact Buckeye Police at 623-386-4421. Information for this story was provided by David Robinson II and Joseph Petito..
