Gabby Petito case draws renewed attention to missing Arizona geologist Daniel Robinson

PHOENIX —After authorities on Sunday announced that they may have found the remains of Gabby Petito in Wyoming, a viral tweet reminded the public to keep 24-year-old Daniel Robinson in mind ?— a geologist who went missing in the desert just outside of Buckeye, Arizona, a little over two months ago.

But that was not all: A petition made by the Robinson family was created two weeks ago with the intention of holding accountable the Buckeye Police Department, the investigative agency on the case.

The petition has garnered more than 8,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.

In it, his father David Robinson, states he has done more to find his son than the law enforcement agency since Daniel went missing.

"This petition gives (my family) the ability to have their voices heard. Daniel's family will feel empowered knowing that they have the community's support and an agreed upon desire to see that everything is being done to find Daniel, my son, her son, their brother, their nephew, their grandchild, and their cousin home," the petition stated.

Related story: TikTok is on the Gabby Petito case. Are these true crime sleuths helping solve it?

More than that, David Robinson wants the police to criminally investigate his son's disappearance due to findings from his own private investigator, including allegations that Daniel's Jeep was driven after crashing and the crash site may have been staged.

Daniel Robinson was last seen leaving his worksite

Robinson was last seen the morning of June 23 driving near Sun Valley Parkway and Cactus Road in his 2017 blue Jeep Renegade.

Robinson did not tell anyone where he was going or why he was leaving and has not been heard from since, officials said.

Police conducted searches by air and land, pulled phone records and checked hospitals for Robinson to no avail. He was placed in the national database for missing persons shortly thereafter.

Since then, the Buckeye Police Department has worked with outside agencies to search more than 70 square miles in an effort to locate Daniel. Investigators have utilized UTVs, cadaver dogs, and air support including a drone and a helicopter, according to a statement issued Thursday.

More: Everyone's talking about Gabby Petito. But they're having the wrong conversation, experts say.

A landowner found Robinson's significantly damaged Jeep on July 19 approximately four miles southwest of the job site Robinson was last seen at, according to police.

Robinson's Jeep was discovered in a ravine, appearing to have rolled and landed on its side, police said. The vehicle's airbags were deployed and evidence indicates that Robinson was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

His clothes, cellphone, wallet and keys were found at the scene, police said.

Given the state of Robinson's vehicle, foul play is not suspected, which is why his case is not a criminal investigation, police confirmed on Monday.

Police have also confirmed that a human skull investigators found July 31 in the desert south of the Jeep does not belong to Robinson.

Despite online reports of other human remains found in the area, the department confirmed that there were none, the statement read. The other remains found in the search were determined to be animal bones, according to police.

GoFundMe for Robinson has raised almost $40,000

Robinson is 5-foot-8, has black hair and brown eyes and does not have a right forearm or hand, police said.

Robinson was hired as a field geologist and moved to Phoenix after he graduated from college in 2019. He oversaw sites located in remote desert areas and often in extreme conditions and traveled long distances to work on projects, according to the GoFundMe page set up by Robinson's family.

The GoFundMe account set up for Robinson said he has an "innate passion" for adventure and is known to travel at opportune moments, but always communicates with friends and family about his travel plans.

Since the GoFundMe was created, the page has raised nearly $40,000 as of Monday afternoon.

The department continued to analyze evidence and explore leads, the statement stated.

Anyone with information was encouraged to contact the Buckeye Police Department at (623) 349-6400.

Contributing: Audrey Jensen and Salma Reyes

Follow Amaris Encinas on Twitter: @amarisencinas.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gabby Petito case draws attention to missing man Daniel Robinson