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[narrator]
Daniel Robinson disappeared
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on June 23rd, 2021.
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[David] Daniel's never been
the person to go to work
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for a few hours and just leave.
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The red flags were
going up for sure.
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[Ken] When I got
to that intersection,
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my heart sank.
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Daniel's tracks didn't make
a left toward home,
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they made a right-hand turn
out in the desert.
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[narrator] His family is
desperate for answers.
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[David] I just knew
my son was in trouble.
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If he's out there riding
around in that heat out there
in that desert,
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that's very dangerous.
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I know the desert is
just a place where
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bad things happen.
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[narrator] This episode
of Disappeared retraces
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Daniel's last known steps.
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[David] The Buckeye
Police Department called
and told me, "Hey, look.
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We didn't find Daniel.
We just have his vehicle."
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[Melissa]
The car being wrecked...
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In my mind I'm thinking,
"What if he's hurt?"
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I was at a total stage of panic.
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Scared beyond anything
I ever felt in my life.
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I just want my son back.
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[narrator] The more people
who know Daniel's story,
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the greater the chance
of bringing him home.
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[narrator reading]
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{\an8}Help find him.
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{\an8}Have you seen Daniel Robinson?
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[David] I'm David Robinson.
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I'm the father
of Daniel Cornelius Robinson,
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{\an8}who went missing
on June the 23rd of 2021.
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{\an8}Daniel graduated
from the College of Charleston
in Charleston, South Carolina.
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He came out to Phoenix, Arizona
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where he landed his job
with Matrix New World
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as a field geologist.
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He really enjoyed being
here in Arizona
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'cause he'd get to expand
his horizons.
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He's a special child.
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When my son was born,
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he was missing his right hand.
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The way he grew up,
his mentality,
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he taught himself how
to play the trumpet.
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Some people thought
that it was impossible.
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He did the French horn.
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He even did a little bit
of the trombone.
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He played a little bit
of football,
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doing sports like that,
basketball.
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Everything he tried
to accomplish, he did that.
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{\an8}He was used to people saying,
"Why were you born like that?"
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And he'd just say,
"That's the way God made me."
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That's what makes
him so special.
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He would not let anyone tell him
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what he couldn't do.
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With his prothesis,
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he wore it until high school.
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When he got to college
he says, "I'm done with it.
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This is me. I love me.
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And whoever doesn't like
what they see, oh, well."
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And he just loved his friends.
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But he really wasn't dating.
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He said, "There's
nobody like my mom."
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And I was like, "Okay."
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What compelled Daniel
to become a geologist
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is climate change.
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And he wanted
to make a difference.
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In Arizona, they have to drill
for water sources
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because it's so dry
and, you know, hot out there.
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He tests the soil to see
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if the water would be drinkable,
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if it had parasites.
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And he'd been working
in remote deserts.
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And sometimes I was wondering
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if he didn't go to Arizona,
would he be missing?
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[Ken] My name is Ken Elliott.
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I'm a pump technician
for Weber Water Resources.
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On the morning of June 23rd,
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we arrived
at the jobsite at 9:30.
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And I walked over
to Daniel's jeep
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to introduce myself.
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We spoke about a few
technical aspects of the job
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and where we were at
on the development phase
of this well.
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{\an8}It was raining fairly hard
at that point.
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I had asked him whether or not
he wanted to just hang tight
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and let this storm cell
pass overhead
before we started
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so we wouldn't get
all of our paperwork wet.
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This is where things started
to become odd.
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When I looked up,
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Daniel was staring off
into the desert.
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He had a very, very
distant look in his eyes.
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That's when he got
in his jeep and left.
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It must have been around 2:30.
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The principal of the firm
called me.
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They had not heard
from Daniel yet.
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I hopped in my work truck.
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The only tracks were Daniel's
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'cause the storms had washed
all the dirt roads clear.
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When I got to that intersection,
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my heart sank.
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Because Daniel's tracks
didn't make a left
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and head east towards home.
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They made a right-hand turn
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and headed west
out in the desert.
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And I thought, "You know, he's
so far out in front of me,
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you know,
he could be anywhere."
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[phone ringing]
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[phone ringing]
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[David] My sister Davisha
gives me a call.
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Like, "Hey, Daniel's missing.
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{\an8}One of his friends from work
came over to my apartment
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{\an8}and let me know
that they couldn't find him."
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Daniel's never been
the person to give up
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or to quit anything
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or to just walk away.
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So, for him to go
to work for a few hours
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and then just leave
out of nowhere,
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didn't say anything to anybody,
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the red flags were
going up for sure.
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[Melissa] I'm freaking out,
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and that's why
I'm gonna call his phone.
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I called it. He didn't answer.
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Called it again.
He didn't answer.
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The next time I left
a message saying,
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"Daniel, this is Mommy.
You know how I am.
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I'm worried now.
I'm worried about you.
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I need you to pick up
this phone."
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He didn't pick up the phone.
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I text him.
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I have the texts.
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I say, "Hey, son.
Where are you?
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You need to answer
your phone."
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[David] I remember exactly
what I was doing
on June the 23rd, 2021.
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I'm retired military.
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[phone ringing]
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[David] I was sitting
on my back porch
in Columbia, South Carolina.
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When I received
that phone call
from his sister
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telling me that it was
well over six hours
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that he was missing
from that job,
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that was problematic for me
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'cause I know Daniel.
He would not go that long
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without saying anything
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to his siblings
or his mother or myself.
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You know, he'll let
us know something.
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We called Daniel's phone.
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It'd ring finally go
to the voicemail
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until I guess it finally died.
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And it goes straight
to the voicemail.
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We didn't hear from him
that whole entire day.
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That's when I knew
something was wrong,
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and I decided
to report him missing.
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I called the Buckeye
Police Department.
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I talked to Officer Cruz.
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One of the biggest things
that I was really happy about
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is that he decided to take
a drive down this road called
Sun Valley Parkway.
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He told me he was out there
to look and see if maybe
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he's stranded on the side
of the road somewhere.
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Of course they told me quickly
they didn't find my son.
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You know, you find out
your child is missing.
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Of course I'm
not going to sleep.
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On June 24th,
I grab everything I can,
threw it in my vehicle
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and start heading
out west to Arizona.
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I'm guessing over
20-something hours.
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It was the hardest drive.
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It seemed like I couldn't get
here fast enough.
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One thing I learned
out in the military is
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never leave
a fallen comrade behind.
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One of the first things I did
when I decided
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to hit that road and head
to Arizona to find my son was
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to make my son a mission.
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Of course,
if your child is missing,
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it can put you
in an emotional state.
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In the military, we learn how
to put those emotions at bay.
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He is my mission.
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The first thing I did is
went up to the Buckeye
Police Department,
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got more information
about where he was last seen.
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I found out it was
in the desert itself.
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[Nicole] I'm Nicole Grigg
and I'm a reporter
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with ABC15 here in Phoenix.
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{\an8}I don't think people realize
that here in Arizona
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{\an8}we're actually one
of the top five states
for missing persons.
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There's just so much desert
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that getting lost or being
stranded in the desert,
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you're out there on your own.
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So, it doesn't take long
for dehydration to set in,
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your skin burning.
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The elements out there are
really severe
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and unsurvivable really.
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The desert environment
in the summer is
very, very harsh.
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It can get
up to 110-115 degrees.
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So, you clearly have
to be prepared.
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Food, water,
plenty of provisions.
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And the wildlife that you need
to watch out for
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are rattlesnakes.
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They're territorial.
They have dens.
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When they come out,
they're cold-blooded
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so they'll typically be
coiled up on a rock
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or somewhere in the sun
to warm up.
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And they blend in with
their native surroundings.
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You may not even see one until
you're almost on top of it.
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You're not up against
just the heat, the sun,
the elements,
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but people do go out
to the deserts to recreate,
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shoot off guns.
We're talking rifles.
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Assault rifles.
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There's a risk of cartels,
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drugs crossing,
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people smuggling people
across the border.
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I know the desert is
just a place
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where bad things happen.
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I mean, I have watched
many shows of course
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to know that, you know,
that's not, like,
a hang out area.
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So, I was worried that maybe
he ran into foul play.
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[Nicole] On June 25th,
Daniel had been missing
for two days at this point.
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Buckeye Police did
their first aerial search
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by helicopter looking for him.
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They search this area
all around his work site
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and they weren't able
to find any trace of him.
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So, Buckeye Police were
putting up flyers
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in the desert
and at the local airport
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in case people passing through
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may have seen him
get on a plane.
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[David] When someone is missing,
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it's very crucial
to search immediately.
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You shouldn't have to wait.
That makes it slimmer
statistic wise
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and less likely you'll recover
that person.
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[Nicole] If someone does die
out in the desert,
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bodies can decompose out there
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and be left to bones
and fragments pretty quickly.
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Here in Maricopa County,
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the ME's office has pages
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of unidentified people
that were in the desert
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and they're still left
unidentified for years.
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[David] With my time
in Afghanistan dealing
with desert,
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I just knew my son was
in trouble.
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If he's out there riding around
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in that heat out there
in that desert,
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that's very dangerous.
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I wondered if he had water,
things like that.
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So, those kind of went
across my mind.
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The first thing I want to do
is get out there
to that well site.
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That was the last spot
that my son was supposed
to have been seen at.
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But Buckeye Police Department
told me not to go
into the desert.
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So, I would take my binoculars
close to the area where
the well site would be at.
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My heart was racing of course.
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00:11:02,266 --> 00:11:04,500
And I tried to imagine myself
as being my son,
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where he was staring off to.
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00:11:07,567 --> 00:11:09,743
And I just need to understand
what he was feeling,
247
00:11:09,767 --> 00:11:11,166
what he was thinking
at the moment.
248
00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:15,867
So, while my father was
there in Arizona,
249
00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:19,443
I, my other sister
in California,
250
00:11:19,467 --> 00:11:20,600
and the sister in Arizona,
251
00:11:20,667 --> 00:11:22,242
we were on social media
trying to figure out
252
00:11:22,266 --> 00:11:24,867
what's been happening
before Daniel went missing.
253
00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,543
He deleted all of his images
off of Instagram,
254
00:11:28,567 --> 00:11:30,767
so I'm thinking,
"Does it mean anything?"
255
00:11:33,900 --> 00:11:35,443
And it's just...
256
00:11:35,467 --> 00:11:38,543
At least for me
it was very upsetting that...
257
00:11:38,567 --> 00:11:41,242
the police department, no one
took it seriously enough
258
00:11:41,266 --> 00:11:43,743
to say, "Something's
not right. He is missing."
259
00:11:43,767 --> 00:11:46,700
We know it may look like
he just walked away,
260
00:11:46,767 --> 00:11:48,400
but something's
not right with this.
261
00:11:50,500 --> 00:11:53,700
[Melissa] A day or so prior
to him going missing,
262
00:11:53,767 --> 00:11:56,976
Daniel called me
and he left me a voicemail.
263
00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,667
And that's the last message
that I have from Daniel.
264
00:12:02,367 --> 00:12:05,042
[Daniel on voicemail]
If you're free you can call
me back if you want,
265
00:12:05,066 --> 00:12:07,976
but, in other words,
I just want to let
you know regardless
266
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,567
I love you and, yeah,
we can talk later.
267
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,142
All right. Bye.
268
00:12:14,166 --> 00:12:15,943
[Melissa] I didn't think
about it at the time,
269
00:12:15,967 --> 00:12:17,567
but I didn't like what I heard.
270
00:12:18,700 --> 00:12:21,667
I didn't like him saying,
"Well, Mama, no matter
what I love you."
271
00:12:22,567 --> 00:12:24,100
I heard it in his voice.
272
00:12:24,166 --> 00:12:26,843
His voice didn't sound right.
273
00:12:26,867 --> 00:12:30,500
And I beat myself up about
why didn't I answer
that phone that night.
274
00:12:39,667 --> 00:12:42,343
{\an8}When I first heard
that Daniel was missing
I was at work,
275
00:12:42,367 --> 00:12:45,343
{\an8}and I got a call from one
of our mutual friends,
276
00:12:45,367 --> 00:12:48,943
a kid that had also graduated
with us from college.
277
00:12:48,967 --> 00:12:51,700
I think it was only a day or so
278
00:12:51,767 --> 00:12:54,343
after Daniel was
reported missing.
279
00:12:54,367 --> 00:12:56,100
It was just really weird to hear
280
00:12:56,166 --> 00:12:58,767
because I had just seen
him a couple days ago.
281
00:13:00,467 --> 00:13:03,500
I had visited Daniel
on Thursday, June 17th.
282
00:13:03,567 --> 00:13:05,000
That weekend
when I was with him,
283
00:13:05,667 --> 00:13:07,443
everything seemed pretty normal
284
00:13:07,467 --> 00:13:09,500
as far as I was concerned.
285
00:13:09,567 --> 00:13:11,743
Daniel was kind of showing
me around Phoenix.
286
00:13:11,767 --> 00:13:14,343
I had never really explored
the city before,
287
00:13:14,367 --> 00:13:16,800
so he took me to a few
of his favorite places.
288
00:13:16,867 --> 00:13:20,343
I hadn't seen him
in at least a year.
289
00:13:20,367 --> 00:13:22,076
I remember he was super excited
290
00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:25,000
to be able to hang out together.
291
00:13:25,066 --> 00:13:28,443
I met Daniel in one of our
geology classes together.
292
00:13:28,467 --> 00:13:33,343
We quickly became friends
because we were both guys
that liked to goof around.
293
00:13:33,367 --> 00:13:35,000
Daniel was a very friendly,
social guy,
294
00:13:36,667 --> 00:13:39,500
and the last time
that I saw Daniel,
295
00:13:39,567 --> 00:13:43,142
he did mention to me
that he had met this girl.
296
00:13:43,166 --> 00:13:45,543
He didn't go too into detail
with anything about it,
297
00:13:45,567 --> 00:13:47,800
but I was excited for him
298
00:13:47,867 --> 00:13:50,800
because I had never known
him to have a girlfriend
299
00:13:50,867 --> 00:13:54,743
or anything super serious
going on.
300
00:13:54,767 --> 00:13:57,900
[David] He worked a second job
where he met this young lady
301
00:13:57,967 --> 00:14:00,367
{\an8}and I think
at that moment just...
302
00:14:01,667 --> 00:14:03,800
{\an8}was infatuated, you know,
on first sight
303
00:14:03,867 --> 00:14:05,627
and wanted to get
to know her a little better
304
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,042
so they exchanged
numbers at some point.
305
00:14:09,066 --> 00:14:11,443
They were texting
back and forth
for a little bit.
306
00:14:11,467 --> 00:14:13,543
I'll say, just a few weeks.
307
00:14:13,567 --> 00:14:15,643
They did go
on one date together.
308
00:14:15,667 --> 00:14:17,233
Nothing very serious.
309
00:14:18,567 --> 00:14:22,343
[Melissa] When he told me
he was going out
on a date with her,
310
00:14:22,367 --> 00:14:25,000
I was so happy for him
because I knew it was
311
00:14:25,066 --> 00:14:28,166
just a while since
he'd been out on a date.
312
00:14:29,266 --> 00:14:30,767
So, he was quite excited.
313
00:14:31,467 --> 00:14:33,643
And I think it was just
314
00:14:33,667 --> 00:14:35,907
{\an8}a love at first sight with him
in the beginning with her.
315
00:14:37,066 --> 00:14:39,543
But I told him,
"You gotta remember
316
00:14:39,567 --> 00:14:42,500
a woman likes to be pursued
just for a little bit.
317
00:14:42,567 --> 00:14:44,300
Then if the feelings
are not mutual,
318
00:14:44,367 --> 00:14:46,367
then it's time
to back away from it."
319
00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,343
[Nicole] So, early on
in the investigation,
320
00:14:51,367 --> 00:14:53,700
there was this woman
who Daniel was seeing
321
00:14:53,767 --> 00:14:56,743
{\an8}that Buckeye Police
were told to look into
322
00:14:56,767 --> 00:15:00,976
{\an8}and see if she has any idea
on where he might be.
323
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,343
Police eventually track
her down and she says
324
00:15:03,367 --> 00:15:05,000
that she doesn't know
where he is
325
00:15:05,066 --> 00:15:06,700
that she hasn't seen him.
326
00:15:06,767 --> 00:15:09,242
But this woman does end up
sharing with Buckeye Police
327
00:15:09,266 --> 00:15:12,166
her last text exchanges
with Daniel.
328
00:15:18,166 --> 00:15:19,943
What exactly does it mean
329
00:15:19,967 --> 00:15:22,743
that "you'll never
see me again?"
330
00:15:22,767 --> 00:15:24,800
It kind of raised some concerns
331
00:15:24,867 --> 00:15:26,843
on what was his mental state
332
00:15:26,867 --> 00:15:28,967
at the time when
he went missing.
333
00:15:30,100 --> 00:15:31,300
[phone ringing]
334
00:15:31,367 --> 00:15:33,127
[Melissa] Prior to him
going missing, Daniel,
335
00:15:33,166 --> 00:15:35,806
he would say stuff like,
"You have to watch out
for your self-being.
336
00:15:36,467 --> 00:15:39,100
Sometimes you have
to be able to cut people off
337
00:15:39,166 --> 00:15:41,643
if they're hurting
your feelings.
338
00:15:41,667 --> 00:15:43,843
And don't talk to them
for a while because
339
00:15:43,867 --> 00:15:46,700
you have to protect
your mental being
340
00:15:46,767 --> 00:15:49,467
instead of having somebody
always hurting your feelings."
341
00:15:51,166 --> 00:15:54,242
[David]
Within the last month or so
prior to him going missing,
342
00:15:54,266 --> 00:15:56,300
there's a big shift
in his personality
343
00:15:56,367 --> 00:15:58,400
just because he's been
so shut off and reserved.
344
00:15:59,567 --> 00:16:01,242
I didn't want
to press him too hard
345
00:16:01,266 --> 00:16:02,976
to have him freeze up
or to, you know,
346
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,976
shut away
from answering anything,
347
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,843
but we tried to gauge
and see where he was mentally.
348
00:16:07,867 --> 00:16:09,700
Like, if he's doing okay.
349
00:16:09,767 --> 00:16:10,976
I know my child was lonely.
350
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,500
I know he wanted friends
351
00:16:13,567 --> 00:16:15,200
to talk to on the regular.
352
00:16:15,266 --> 00:16:17,343
He had no female companionship.
353
00:16:17,367 --> 00:16:19,242
All he had was his sister.
354
00:16:19,266 --> 00:16:23,643
And that mainly was
me and Daniel's conversations
prior to him leaving
355
00:16:23,667 --> 00:16:27,142
is just the frustration
of life and COVID.
356
00:16:27,166 --> 00:16:29,800
You've been in the house
for a whole year.
357
00:16:29,867 --> 00:16:34,443
And, you know,
all his friends are
in Charleston and Colorado.
358
00:16:34,467 --> 00:16:35,643
He didn't have any friends there
359
00:16:35,667 --> 00:16:37,142
and he wanted friends so bad.
360
00:16:37,166 --> 00:16:40,400
Just people to hang out with,
talk to.
361
00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:43,142
[Nicole] It's been over a week.
362
00:16:43,166 --> 00:16:45,343
No signs of Daniel.
363
00:16:45,367 --> 00:16:49,800
Unfortunately, his family
didn't have a key to get
inside of his apartment.
364
00:16:49,867 --> 00:16:52,100
Police weren't able
to get a warrant
365
00:16:52,166 --> 00:16:54,443
because they needed
a proof of crime.
366
00:16:54,467 --> 00:16:57,843
So, they actually went
to the landlord to get inside
367
00:16:57,867 --> 00:17:00,266
to do a wellness check
at this time.
368
00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:03,543
His apartment was an indication
369
00:17:03,567 --> 00:17:05,287
of where his mind
may have been at the time.
370
00:17:07,767 --> 00:17:10,843
When I enter his apartment,
I seen my son's pain.
371
00:17:10,867 --> 00:17:12,100
I seen the stress.
372
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,543
I seen the pain.
I felt the sadness.
373
00:17:15,567 --> 00:17:17,743
I mean, dishes in the sink.
374
00:17:17,767 --> 00:17:20,100
Dishes on the floor.
375
00:17:20,166 --> 00:17:22,400
Clothes on the floor.
376
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,443
Disheveled bathroom.
Hairs on the floor.
377
00:17:27,467 --> 00:17:29,643
Just chaos and misery.
378
00:17:29,667 --> 00:17:31,500
I've lived with him
since he was born.
379
00:17:31,567 --> 00:17:34,200
Daniel's never been, like,
an organized person,
380
00:17:34,266 --> 00:17:35,426
but this was beyond even him.
381
00:17:36,767 --> 00:17:39,843
Like, it was dirty.
It was bad.
382
00:17:39,867 --> 00:17:42,343
Daniel's never been
the kind of person
to live like that.
383
00:17:42,367 --> 00:17:45,242
You can just see
that he was clearly going
through something
384
00:17:45,266 --> 00:17:47,867
and he stopped caring
about his living space.
385
00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,900
I think Daniel just snapped.
386
00:17:52,567 --> 00:17:54,943
He said, "You know what?
I'm done with this.
387
00:17:54,967 --> 00:17:58,943
I'm trying to be productive
at my job and my life.
388
00:17:58,967 --> 00:18:00,900
And every time
I take two steps forward,
389
00:18:00,967 --> 00:18:03,242
I get pulled five steps back.
390
00:18:03,266 --> 00:18:05,000
I get off work
and I work another job.
391
00:18:05,967 --> 00:18:07,943
Is it supposed to be this way?
392
00:18:07,967 --> 00:18:11,076
Is this how life's
supposed to be for me?"
393
00:18:11,100 --> 00:18:14,500
He said,
"I'm tired for a moment.
I need to breathe.
394
00:18:14,567 --> 00:18:16,800
I don't need to worry
about this right now."
395
00:18:18,467 --> 00:18:21,300
But there's nothing
in this world would make him
396
00:18:21,367 --> 00:18:25,076
ever dream of taking his life.
397
00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:28,643
I mean, Daniel never really
bit his tongue on telling
me anything.
398
00:18:28,667 --> 00:18:32,343
If he was feeling crazy
or icky about himself,
399
00:18:32,367 --> 00:18:33,900
I think he'd come to me and say,
400
00:18:33,967 --> 00:18:35,843
"Listen, Mama, I'm having
some serious issues right now.
401
00:18:35,867 --> 00:18:37,242
I really need your help."
402
00:18:37,266 --> 00:18:39,443
I really do believe
that he would tell me
403
00:18:39,467 --> 00:18:42,000
he's having some
real serious issues.
404
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:44,900
[David] I guess, like,
as his older sibling,
405
00:18:44,967 --> 00:18:46,800
I've always worried
about my siblings,
406
00:18:46,867 --> 00:18:49,166
but I don't think
he would have harmed himself.
407
00:18:50,567 --> 00:18:51,900
He was forward thinking
408
00:18:51,967 --> 00:18:53,443
the days before he went missing.
409
00:18:53,467 --> 00:18:55,643
He was suggesting
that he was gonna find
410
00:18:55,667 --> 00:18:57,843
another job at some point
or he was gonna move.
411
00:18:57,867 --> 00:18:59,543
He had plans to do
something else,
412
00:18:59,567 --> 00:19:02,343
so I don't think
he would have harmed himself.
413
00:19:02,367 --> 00:19:05,000
[David] I last spoke
to my son two days prior
to him going missing.
414
00:19:05,967 --> 00:19:10,343
{\an8}Him and his sister had plans
to go hiking that weekend.
415
00:19:10,367 --> 00:19:14,700
We talked about my plans
to come up there
in July to visit him.
416
00:19:14,767 --> 00:19:17,076
Knowing Daniel, I don't think
he's the type of person
417
00:19:17,100 --> 00:19:20,142
that would want to run
away from anything.
418
00:19:20,166 --> 00:19:22,800
He had a lot of good friends
and a good family,
419
00:19:22,867 --> 00:19:24,967
so I think that he had
a pretty good life.
420
00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:29,300
[Melissa] I was in so much pain
421
00:19:29,367 --> 00:19:31,976
and I didn't know
how much more I can take
422
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,843
without knowing where my son is.
423
00:19:34,867 --> 00:19:37,667
The pain and the stress
of seeing Daniel in my dreams
calling my name...
424
00:19:40,367 --> 00:19:42,500
I said, "God, you gotta give
me something."
425
00:19:42,567 --> 00:19:46,567
Then we received a tip
and I was excited.
426
00:19:48,266 --> 00:19:49,767
I'm going to find my son.
427
00:19:56,867 --> 00:19:58,943
[David] Around
that time of July 7th,
428
00:19:58,967 --> 00:20:02,000
{\an8}I did get information from
the Buckeye Police Department
429
00:20:02,066 --> 00:20:04,643
{\an8}telling me there was a report
of somebody calling in
430
00:20:04,667 --> 00:20:08,500
{\an8}and saying they saw someone
that fit the description
of my son Daniel.
431
00:20:08,567 --> 00:20:10,567
It was somebody who was
also missing a limb.
432
00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:16,800
[David] A woman I believe
from Phoenix, Arizona
433
00:20:16,867 --> 00:20:20,443
spotted someone who appeared
to be my brother
at a grocery store.
434
00:20:20,467 --> 00:20:23,000
{\an8}Just something about him
drew her to him.
435
00:20:23,467 --> 00:20:25,000
She went over
to speak to the kid.
436
00:20:25,066 --> 00:20:27,100
He doesn't look like
he's homeless,
437
00:20:27,166 --> 00:20:30,100
and she said that the kid said,
438
00:20:30,166 --> 00:20:31,943
"Oh, I'm just
on a journey right now,
439
00:20:31,967 --> 00:20:33,100
something I have to do."
440
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:37,000
And she offered him
a granola bar, some water,
441
00:20:37,066 --> 00:20:38,643
you know, told him to be safe.
442
00:20:38,667 --> 00:20:39,743
She wanted to take a picture,
443
00:20:39,767 --> 00:20:40,943
like, if someone
was looking for him,
444
00:20:40,967 --> 00:20:42,343
but then the person declined,
445
00:20:42,367 --> 00:20:44,567
"No, no pictures
of me, please."
446
00:20:46,367 --> 00:20:47,900
[David] It was
the detective, uh,
447
00:20:47,967 --> 00:20:48,976
from Buckeye Police Department
448
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,720
who was able to go
there and check that out.
449
00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:57,976
{\an8}So, it disappointed
me tremendously.
450
00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,867
I just want my son back.
451
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,343
[Nicole] At this point,
it's two weeks in,
452
00:21:07,367 --> 00:21:09,076
no signs of Daniel.
453
00:21:09,100 --> 00:21:11,800
{\an8}Buckeye police reached out
to the Civil Air Patrol.
454
00:21:11,867 --> 00:21:14,800
It's a non-profit
with the U.S. Air Force
455
00:21:14,867 --> 00:21:18,700
to assist and do another
aerial l search for him.
456
00:21:18,767 --> 00:21:20,400
They showed up around 8:00
that morning.
457
00:21:22,767 --> 00:21:24,007
There's gonna be a few flyovers
458
00:21:24,967 --> 00:21:27,266
over the area where
my son was last seen.
459
00:21:28,066 --> 00:21:29,076
I was present.
460
00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:30,843
They just kinda zigzagged
461
00:21:30,867 --> 00:21:32,900
until they made
their way up north.
462
00:21:32,967 --> 00:21:35,743
They did a search for,
I would say, roughly,
463
00:21:35,767 --> 00:21:39,142
they got finished roughly
around 11:00 that morning.
464
00:21:39,166 --> 00:21:42,367
{\an8}Then they gave me
a map, um, of the area
that they searched,
465
00:21:43,567 --> 00:21:45,647
They didn't come
up with anything,
they came up empty.
466
00:21:47,567 --> 00:21:49,800
[Nicole] Daniel's father,
David, at this point,
467
00:21:49,867 --> 00:21:52,042
he had nothing to go on
468
00:21:52,066 --> 00:21:53,386
{\an8}so, David created
his own website,
469
00:21:54,467 --> 00:21:58,443
{\an8}pleasehelpfind
danielrobinson.com
470
00:21:58,467 --> 00:22:01,076
{\an8}hoping he would start
to get information
471
00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:03,300
{\an8}on what happened to his son.
472
00:22:03,367 --> 00:22:04,943
This is, uh, David Robinson,
473
00:22:04,967 --> 00:22:07,543
I'm the father of geologist
Daniel Cornelius Robinson
474
00:22:07,567 --> 00:22:11,100
{\an8}who went missing in the desert
of Buckeye, Arizona.
475
00:22:11,166 --> 00:22:13,443
{\an8}Coming out for this
live to tell you all
476
00:22:13,467 --> 00:22:15,200
{\an8}that I have a tip line
that I'm paying for,
477
00:22:15,266 --> 00:22:18,343
{\an8}so, please, I'm really
desperate here trying
to find my son.
478
00:22:18,367 --> 00:22:20,976
I'm really depending
on you all to help.
479
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,000
{\an8}[Nicole] It was really
his effort on social media
480
00:22:24,467 --> 00:22:26,976
{\an8}pushing the public
to send any information
481
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,042
that was helping tips
come in on who may
have seen Daniel.
482
00:22:31,066 --> 00:22:32,300
Any time somebody have leads,
483
00:22:32,367 --> 00:22:33,643
I followed a lot of leads.
484
00:22:33,667 --> 00:22:36,543
I've been to Sedona to Flagstaff
485
00:22:36,567 --> 00:22:38,400
and a couple other places,
486
00:22:38,467 --> 00:22:41,567
but I came back
with a negative result,
it wasn't Daniel.
487
00:22:42,767 --> 00:22:45,800
Buckeye police is a smaller
police department
488
00:22:45,867 --> 00:22:48,400
in comparison
to the surrounding cities,
489
00:22:48,467 --> 00:22:50,800
and they have
a lot of land to cover.
490
00:22:50,867 --> 00:22:52,800
So, David posted on the website,
491
00:22:52,867 --> 00:22:54,147
he asked the community for help,
492
00:22:54,367 --> 00:22:57,943
he started to put together
these community searches
493
00:22:57,967 --> 00:22:59,343
out in the desert.
494
00:22:59,367 --> 00:23:02,600
Uh, I just wanted to come out
to live, uh, to tell you all
495
00:23:02,667 --> 00:23:05,943
that I am having
a search tomorrow.
496
00:23:05,967 --> 00:23:08,443
Uh, you guys if you can,
please come along.
497
00:23:08,467 --> 00:23:11,142
Uh, all the information
that you need will be on
498
00:23:11,166 --> 00:23:13,100
pleasehelpfinddaniel.com.
499
00:23:13,166 --> 00:23:16,643
I was able to start
most searches that way.
500
00:23:16,667 --> 00:23:19,467
We put out
the information about
the search to the public.
501
00:23:20,700 --> 00:23:21,976
And people showed up.
502
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,443
I'm really grateful
for you coming out here,
503
00:23:23,467 --> 00:23:26,142
um, from the bottom
of my heart to search
for my son, Daniel.
504
00:23:26,166 --> 00:23:28,343
This terrain is really
huge and large,
505
00:23:28,367 --> 00:23:31,000
and I can't do it by myself,
so I'm really grateful,
506
00:23:31,066 --> 00:23:32,300
uh, for you all coming out.
507
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,200
We have a mapping system,
508
00:23:34,266 --> 00:23:36,976
we had those maps
broken down to grids.
509
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,400
Said, "hey, today, we're
searching down this grid."
510
00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:46,343
[volunteer]
I just couldn't imagine
being in David's shoes,
511
00:23:46,367 --> 00:23:47,943
not knowing where Daniel's at,
512
00:23:47,967 --> 00:23:50,743
I can't imagine
not having answers.
513
00:23:50,767 --> 00:23:53,000
{\an8}Keep on looking for Daniel
because my heart tells me to,
514
00:23:54,166 --> 00:23:55,900
{\an8}and for the family.
515
00:23:55,967 --> 00:23:58,843
[Lasheika Hill]
I always say that if...
516
00:23:58,867 --> 00:24:02,343
{\an8}...I or any one of my
family or loved ones
ever went missing,
517
00:24:02,367 --> 00:24:04,500
{\an8}I would want someone
to do the same thing for me.
518
00:24:04,567 --> 00:24:06,042
I feel his pain,
519
00:24:06,066 --> 00:24:09,400
and I feel like I know
Daniel through him.
520
00:24:09,467 --> 00:24:11,943
[Melissa] I thank everybody
for searching for Daniel
521
00:24:11,967 --> 00:24:14,343
I really, really,
really appreciate it
522
00:24:14,367 --> 00:24:16,843
that they took the time
out of their busy schedules
523
00:24:16,867 --> 00:24:18,266
to help find my son.
524
00:24:19,567 --> 00:24:20,767
{\an8}[lady]
525
00:24:21,667 --> 00:24:22,967
They've got a bone there.
526
00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,400
[David] Couldn't move.
I was really stunned.
527
00:24:26,467 --> 00:24:28,900
It was scary because
then I realized
528
00:24:28,967 --> 00:24:31,242
my son went missing in the area
529
00:24:31,266 --> 00:24:34,343
where, um, things was
happening, obviously,
530
00:24:34,367 --> 00:24:36,700
so, it makes it really bad
for me, it makes it tough.
531
00:24:36,767 --> 00:24:38,500
[Evan Short] Um,
what we're looking at
532
00:24:38,567 --> 00:24:40,400
is the top of the skull
right here,
533
00:24:41,266 --> 00:24:43,200
and then, uh,
a piece of vertebrae.
534
00:24:44,266 --> 00:24:47,142
Trying to identify
to see what this is...
535
00:24:47,166 --> 00:24:50,743
uh, compared to the human
anatomy, the app that I've got
536
00:24:50,767 --> 00:24:52,567
so we can quickly
identify to see if it
537
00:24:53,367 --> 00:24:54,367
matches anything.
538
00:24:56,367 --> 00:24:57,643
I'm gonna go ahead
and upload this.
539
00:24:57,667 --> 00:25:00,343
{\an8}I'm gonna shoot a message
over to the medical examiner,
540
00:25:00,367 --> 00:25:03,443
{\an8}um, and, uh, we'll have
them evaluate it,
541
00:25:03,467 --> 00:25:05,643
- but I'm pretty
sure this is a...
- Okay, thank you.
542
00:25:05,667 --> 00:25:06,644
[Short] ...a small animal.
543
00:25:06,668 --> 00:25:08,142
Probably a coyote.
544
00:25:08,166 --> 00:25:10,543
[David] I was relieved
it was animal remains,
545
00:25:10,567 --> 00:25:11,743
but it's a rollercoaster.
546
00:25:11,767 --> 00:25:14,343
When I go out to the desert
search for instance,
547
00:25:14,367 --> 00:25:15,743
everyday is like day one.
548
00:25:15,767 --> 00:25:18,300
You go out there
in hopes to find my son
549
00:25:18,367 --> 00:25:20,600
alive out there and rescue him.
550
00:25:20,667 --> 00:25:23,307
Then it gets grimmer
and grimmer as the months
have been passing by.
551
00:25:24,367 --> 00:25:26,976
[Nicole] David and these
volunteers were out there
552
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,100
first thing in the morning
before the heat
553
00:25:29,166 --> 00:25:32,076
and, sadly, all these efforts,
they still weren't finding
554
00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:33,266
any trace of Daniel.
555
00:25:35,100 --> 00:25:37,242
On July 19th,
556
00:25:37,266 --> 00:25:39,843
nearly a month since
Daniel went missing,
557
00:25:39,867 --> 00:25:43,343
finally, Buckeye police
have a break in the case.
558
00:25:43,367 --> 00:25:45,343
The Buckeye Police
Department called me
and told me,
559
00:25:45,367 --> 00:25:48,100
"Hey, look, Mr. Robinson,
uh, we've found Daniel's
vehicle...
560
00:25:49,867 --> 00:25:53,000
in a 20-foot ravine
in a remote area
of the desert."
561
00:25:55,100 --> 00:25:56,343
You know, the first
thing I'm thinking,
562
00:25:56,367 --> 00:25:58,900
the next sentence will be
that they've found my son.
563
00:26:04,166 --> 00:26:05,300
{\an8}[narrator] Daniel Robinson
564
00:26:05,367 --> 00:26:07,800
{\an8}was last seen June 23rd, 2021.
565
00:26:07,867 --> 00:26:09,500
{\an8}If you have any information,
566
00:26:09,567 --> 00:26:11,843
{\an8}please contact
the Buckeye Police tip line
567
00:26:11,867 --> 00:26:15,667
{\an8}at 623 349-6411.
568
00:26:19,867 --> 00:26:21,843
[David] The Buckeye
Police Department called
and told me,
569
00:26:21,867 --> 00:26:24,367
{\an8}"Hey, look, we didn't
find Daniel, we just
have his vehicle."
570
00:26:26,567 --> 00:26:28,743
A rancher, uh,
checking for his cattle
571
00:26:28,767 --> 00:26:29,976
out in a remote
area of the desert
572
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,000
ran into Daniel's Jeep Renegade
573
00:26:32,066 --> 00:26:34,000
in a 20-foot ravine.
574
00:26:36,266 --> 00:26:39,000
[Melissa]
The car had been wrecked,
in my mind, I'm thinking,
575
00:26:39,066 --> 00:26:40,066
"What if he's hurt?"
576
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,500
I was at a total stage of panic.
577
00:26:45,567 --> 00:26:49,500
{\an8}Scared beyond anything
I ever felt in my life.
578
00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:52,367
[Nicole] The airbags
were deployed...
579
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,743
{\an8}...the sunroof was kicked out,
580
00:26:55,767 --> 00:26:58,543
{\an8}but still no sign
of Daniel here.
581
00:26:58,567 --> 00:27:00,300
[Melissa]
When he wasn't in the car,
582
00:27:00,367 --> 00:27:02,242
it's like a moment of relief,
583
00:27:02,266 --> 00:27:04,000
hope and then dread
at the same time.
584
00:27:05,100 --> 00:27:06,780
You can be taken out
quickly in the desert.
585
00:27:10,867 --> 00:27:12,643
[David] I remember seeing
the vehicle the first time,
586
00:27:12,667 --> 00:27:13,800
the way it was,
587
00:27:13,867 --> 00:27:15,100
and it was very devastating.
588
00:27:16,867 --> 00:27:19,343
The detective asked me,
he said, "Mr. Robinson..."
589
00:27:19,367 --> 00:27:20,643
He caught me standing
at a distance, said,
590
00:27:20,667 --> 00:27:23,443
"You go over there and you
can look inside the vehicle."
591
00:27:23,467 --> 00:27:25,543
I just couldn't move,
I was really stunned.
592
00:27:25,567 --> 00:27:26,843
Inside the car,
593
00:27:26,867 --> 00:27:28,800
all of Daniel's personal items.
594
00:27:28,867 --> 00:27:33,042
His backpack,
his cellphone, his keys.
595
00:27:33,066 --> 00:27:34,426
And then on the outside
of the car,
596
00:27:34,667 --> 00:27:36,743
his clothes were
scattered all around
597
00:27:36,767 --> 00:27:39,076
like he threw them off.
598
00:27:39,100 --> 00:27:42,200
And then his wallet was
found inside his jeans
599
00:27:42,266 --> 00:27:44,976
with all of his credit cards.
600
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,443
Is he naked in the middle
of the desert in this heat?
601
00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:50,142
And then we learn
that in the trunk,
602
00:27:50,166 --> 00:27:52,643
there were two cases of water.
603
00:27:52,667 --> 00:27:54,200
{\an8}You know, with his degree,
604
00:27:54,266 --> 00:27:58,242
{\an8}he knows and understands,
you know, the desert terrain
a lot.
605
00:27:58,266 --> 00:28:01,443
You can only survive out
there with extreme dry heat
606
00:28:01,467 --> 00:28:03,076
for very long without water.
607
00:28:03,100 --> 00:28:04,443
He wouldn't have
left all the water
608
00:28:04,467 --> 00:28:06,100
or at least if he
got into the wreck,
609
00:28:06,166 --> 00:28:08,600
my thought is he would
probably stay in the car
610
00:28:08,667 --> 00:28:10,543
where it's shaded
and he has the water
611
00:28:10,567 --> 00:28:11,900
and it's more safe
and contained.
612
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,200
Daniel's car was found three
miles from the well side
613
00:28:17,266 --> 00:28:18,843
where he was last seen.
614
00:28:18,867 --> 00:28:21,743
[Elliott] Assuming that
Daniel crashed his Jeep
615
00:28:21,767 --> 00:28:24,976
{\an8}so close to the job site,
he could have very easily
616
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,467
{\an8}walked back to the job
site in less than an hour.
617
00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:30,409
[Nicole] And it just
makes you wonder,
618
00:28:30,433 --> 00:28:33,443
wouldn't you have seen
it if you were doing
these ground searches,
619
00:28:33,467 --> 00:28:35,027
if you were doing
these aerial searches?
620
00:28:35,967 --> 00:28:38,800
And all of a sudden,
here it is in this ravine
621
00:28:38,867 --> 00:28:40,343
three miles away.
622
00:28:40,367 --> 00:28:42,076
I think there were
a lot of concerns
623
00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:43,700
that how did this car get here?
624
00:28:43,767 --> 00:28:46,142
It had to be placed
here by someone,
625
00:28:46,166 --> 00:28:48,443
it doesn't just appear
out of nowhere
626
00:28:48,467 --> 00:28:51,242
when we've been searching
this area for so long.
627
00:28:51,266 --> 00:28:54,042
It wasn't covered, it was,
there were no rocks on it,
628
00:28:54,066 --> 00:28:55,600
there were no debris on the car.
629
00:28:55,667 --> 00:28:57,843
You know, blue-ish Jeep
out in the middle
630
00:28:57,867 --> 00:28:59,200
of a brown-ish red desert,
631
00:28:59,266 --> 00:29:01,142
even with it being in a ravine,
632
00:29:01,166 --> 00:29:02,700
I just don't believe that
633
00:29:02,767 --> 00:29:04,927
they would have possibly
have missed that from the air.
634
00:29:09,667 --> 00:29:12,543
[David] I had a theory that
was given to me by someone
635
00:29:12,567 --> 00:29:14,142
at the Buckeye Police Department
636
00:29:14,166 --> 00:29:16,000
of what they think
happened to my son.
637
00:29:17,467 --> 00:29:21,343
They felt like, you know,
he escaped at a rollover
638
00:29:21,367 --> 00:29:24,943
without injury
'cause they didn't see
any blood in the vehicle.
639
00:29:24,967 --> 00:29:28,643
He kicked the glass out
of the sunroof and got out.
640
00:29:28,667 --> 00:29:31,000
But they also believed that
he had a severe head injury...
641
00:29:32,500 --> 00:29:34,900
and once he got
out of the vehicle,
he shredded his clothes
642
00:29:35,166 --> 00:29:37,300
because the brain injury
would make you feel hot
643
00:29:37,367 --> 00:29:39,343
and if you're hot, you need
to shred your clothes,
644
00:29:39,367 --> 00:29:41,166
and he may have walked off
645
00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:43,300
and succumb to his injuries.
646
00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,767
If he was in this accident,
he was likely really hurt...
647
00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,843
and he was out
of his mind, so to speak,
648
00:29:52,867 --> 00:29:56,042
and that's kind of the only
explanation that we saw.
649
00:29:56,066 --> 00:29:59,042
That Daniel maybe
didn't have any idea
650
00:29:59,066 --> 00:30:00,643
what had happened to him,
651
00:30:00,667 --> 00:30:02,500
maybe that's why
he left his keys,
652
00:30:02,567 --> 00:30:04,000
maybe that's why
he left the water,
653
00:30:04,867 --> 00:30:07,100
maybe that's why he
just started walking
654
00:30:07,166 --> 00:30:08,743
in the middle of the desert,
655
00:30:08,767 --> 00:30:09,967
but we don't know.
656
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:12,976
{\an8}[Cawley-Robinson] I get
maybe if you did get hot
657
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,343
{\an8}and take your shirt
off, at least,
658
00:30:14,367 --> 00:30:17,100
{\an8}but I don't think my brother
would strip down naked
659
00:30:17,166 --> 00:30:19,976
{\an8}and leave all
of his clothes there.
660
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,443
It was very upsetting because
661
00:30:22,467 --> 00:30:25,142
any person whether
eventually he's found or not
662
00:30:25,166 --> 00:30:28,000
can't walk through that
for very long and can't get
very far
663
00:30:28,066 --> 00:30:29,200
that you couldn't see them.
664
00:30:29,266 --> 00:30:31,200
{\an8}There's no way my
brother would have
665
00:30:31,266 --> 00:30:33,943
{\an8}got within three
miles of the site
666
00:30:33,967 --> 00:30:35,847
{\an8}and they not find
any inkling that he was there.
667
00:30:37,367 --> 00:30:39,443
Just doesn't add up.
668
00:30:39,467 --> 00:30:41,142
[David] One thing that
bothered me the most,
669
00:30:41,166 --> 00:30:43,443
I had a severe head
injury from IED blast.
670
00:30:43,467 --> 00:30:45,343
That's the reason I'm
retired from the military
671
00:30:45,367 --> 00:30:46,943
and I never shredded my clothes,
672
00:30:46,967 --> 00:30:49,927
and so, when they told me
that, I couldn't understand
the science behind it.
673
00:30:51,166 --> 00:30:52,643
So, that made me wanna
get my own investigator,
674
00:30:52,667 --> 00:30:54,743
get a second opinion.
675
00:30:54,767 --> 00:30:56,142
[Jeff McGrath]
My name is Jeff McGrath,
676
00:30:56,166 --> 00:30:57,943
I am a criminal
private investigator.
677
00:30:57,967 --> 00:31:00,700
I specialize in accident
reconstruction.
678
00:31:00,767 --> 00:31:03,343
David Robinson reached out to me
679
00:31:03,367 --> 00:31:04,943
couple days after they
found the vehicle.
680
00:31:04,967 --> 00:31:07,700
{\an8}He felt that there was
something that wasn't right
681
00:31:07,767 --> 00:31:09,943
with the vehicle
and with the investigation.
682
00:31:09,967 --> 00:31:13,743
The vehicle itself
as I started working
my way around it,
683
00:31:13,767 --> 00:31:15,343
we noticed there was damage
684
00:31:15,367 --> 00:31:18,266
significantly to the right
front side of the vehicle.
685
00:31:19,567 --> 00:31:22,543
That's probably what blew
the airbags in the vehicle.
686
00:31:22,567 --> 00:31:25,343
It had to have struck
something fairly large,
687
00:31:25,367 --> 00:31:30,042
and it had to be pretty solid
to cause the damage I saw.
688
00:31:30,066 --> 00:31:32,543
Where the vehicle was laid,
there was nothing around it
689
00:31:32,567 --> 00:31:34,443
immediately that I could see
that would have caused
690
00:31:34,467 --> 00:31:36,200
all the damage I was
seeing on the vehicle.
691
00:31:37,700 --> 00:31:41,843
It didn't make sense,
so, it needed some
further investigation.
692
00:31:41,867 --> 00:31:44,743
{\an8}The police department
had turned over the report
693
00:31:44,767 --> 00:31:46,343
{\an8}of the airbag control modules,
694
00:31:46,367 --> 00:31:48,287
some people call it
the black box of the vehicle.
695
00:31:50,266 --> 00:31:53,443
When I started to analyze
the crash data report,
696
00:31:53,467 --> 00:31:56,076
{\an8}the vehicle was doing
anywhere from 29
697
00:31:56,100 --> 00:31:58,142
{\an8}to just over 30 miles an hour
698
00:31:58,166 --> 00:32:00,443
{\an8}consistently all the way
through to airbag deployment,
699
00:32:00,467 --> 00:32:02,843
and that, again, takes me
back to the terrain.
700
00:32:02,867 --> 00:32:05,027
I took my vehicle out there
and I tried the same thing.
701
00:32:06,567 --> 00:32:09,142
I couldn't get it above
15 miles an hour.
702
00:32:09,166 --> 00:32:10,900
It was absolutely
just insane doing it.
703
00:32:10,967 --> 00:32:12,109
It was too rough.
704
00:32:12,133 --> 00:32:14,142
When you go out there
and you stand out there,
705
00:32:14,166 --> 00:32:17,667
you can see its ridges
and valleys and it's
just not possible.
706
00:32:21,467 --> 00:32:23,343
And I attempted it
with that as well,
707
00:32:23,367 --> 00:32:25,700
and that thing I
got up to just about
22 miles an hour.
708
00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,443
To imagine Daniel's
vehicle traveling that long
709
00:32:29,467 --> 00:32:31,900
at that speed in the area
where it was recovered,
710
00:32:31,967 --> 00:32:32,800
it doesn't make sense.
711
00:32:32,867 --> 00:32:34,027
It's not physically possible.
712
00:32:36,166 --> 00:32:38,643
The crash data report
also indicated
713
00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:40,100
at the time
of airbag deployment,
714
00:32:40,166 --> 00:32:42,643
the, uh, vehicle had then driven
715
00:32:42,667 --> 00:32:44,900
another 11 miles.
716
00:32:44,967 --> 00:32:46,900
So, the 11 miles
leads me to believe
717
00:32:46,967 --> 00:32:48,900
the vehicle was definitely moved
718
00:32:48,967 --> 00:32:50,867
after the initial
airbag deployment.
719
00:32:52,100 --> 00:32:53,967
And there's no doubt
in my mind of that.
720
00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,343
Based on the evidence that, um,
721
00:32:58,367 --> 00:33:00,543
the private
investigator gave us,
722
00:33:00,567 --> 00:33:03,976
I just think that maybe
Daniel wanted to get
away for a moment,
723
00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,400
and then abandoned his car
somewhere in the Buckeye area,
724
00:33:07,467 --> 00:33:09,976
someone or some
people found his car
725
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,610
and just took it.
726
00:33:11,634 --> 00:33:14,643
{\an8}Once the newsrooms
released that Daniel was
missing, this is his car,
727
00:33:14,667 --> 00:33:16,042
{\an8}they might have dumped the car
728
00:33:16,066 --> 00:33:18,076
{\an8}in attempts to, like,
just absolve themselves
729
00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:20,343
and not be caught
up in an investigation.
730
00:33:20,367 --> 00:33:23,700
'Cause it doesn't make
sense that a person
731
00:33:23,767 --> 00:33:26,500
could survive a car
crash of that nature,
732
00:33:26,567 --> 00:33:30,076
rolling down a hill
the way it rolled down.
733
00:33:30,100 --> 00:33:33,142
There was no forensic
evidence of blood.
734
00:33:33,166 --> 00:33:35,246
Nothing that would suggest
that Daniel was in the car
735
00:33:35,767 --> 00:33:37,200
at the time of that wreckage.
736
00:33:37,266 --> 00:33:39,843
So, it looks like
737
00:33:39,867 --> 00:33:42,543
it was staged there
like it was placed.
738
00:33:42,567 --> 00:33:44,000
Who did it, we don't know.
739
00:33:46,967 --> 00:33:48,300
Remember, I'm on a mission
740
00:33:48,367 --> 00:33:50,700
to find out what
happened to my son.
741
00:33:50,767 --> 00:33:52,943
So, I'm spending my
searches out to cover
742
00:33:52,967 --> 00:33:54,667
the area where
the vehicle was found.
743
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,700
Daniel's father, David,
is determined to find his son.
744
00:33:58,767 --> 00:34:01,100
He's been here in Arizona
leading search parties
745
00:34:01,166 --> 00:34:04,000
every Saturday since
his son vanished,
746
00:34:04,100 --> 00:34:06,242
and those search parties
are making a difference.
747
00:34:06,266 --> 00:34:08,743
On July 31st,
a shocking discovery
748
00:34:08,767 --> 00:34:10,443
by one of his father's
search teams
749
00:34:10,467 --> 00:34:13,042
finding a human
skull and shoulder.
750
00:34:13,066 --> 00:34:15,743
The team immediately
alerted the Buckeye police.
751
00:34:15,767 --> 00:34:17,266
I just hit the floor and I just
752
00:34:18,100 --> 00:34:19,400
couldn't hold myself together.
753
00:34:19,467 --> 00:34:20,600
In my mind, I'm thinking,
754
00:34:20,667 --> 00:34:23,967
"Oh, my God, a body,
my child is gone."
755
00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:33,343
[Cawley-Robinson] I did
receive a call from my dad.
756
00:34:33,367 --> 00:34:35,066
They did find a skull out there.
757
00:34:36,667 --> 00:34:38,500
{\an8}And that was
a pretty tough time.
758
00:34:38,567 --> 00:34:42,166
{\an8}We have, see Buckeye police
have taped off the scene,
759
00:34:42,233 --> 00:34:45,343
{\an8}and at this point, medical
examiners confirmed it,
760
00:34:45,367 --> 00:34:47,976
and we don't know whose it is.
761
00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,910
{\an8}I try to keep as
much hope as I can.
762
00:34:49,934 --> 00:34:51,743
{\an8}Try to keep my emotions at bay.
763
00:34:51,767 --> 00:34:54,643
So, it makes it really
bad for me and scary.
764
00:34:54,667 --> 00:34:55,910
[Melissa]
In my mind, I'm thinking,
765
00:34:55,934 --> 00:34:58,166
"Oh, my God, a body,
my child is gone."
766
00:35:00,367 --> 00:35:01,367
{\an8}I lost it.
767
00:35:02,066 --> 00:35:03,066
{\an8}I lost it.
768
00:35:03,967 --> 00:35:07,400
{\an8}I went into an uncontrollable...
769
00:35:08,667 --> 00:35:11,367
cry and it wouldn't stop.
770
00:35:12,734 --> 00:35:13,934
It wouldn't stop.
771
00:35:14,734 --> 00:35:17,166
I hit the floor.
772
00:35:17,233 --> 00:35:19,843
I mean, I woke up
in the middle
of the night crying
773
00:35:19,867 --> 00:35:22,300
and calling Daniel's name.
774
00:35:22,367 --> 00:35:24,667
I was calling people that I know
775
00:35:24,734 --> 00:35:26,867
from the church to pray with me.
776
00:35:27,934 --> 00:35:30,000
{\an8}[Nicole] Shortly after
discovering this skull,
777
00:35:30,266 --> 00:35:32,810
{\an8}it was determined
that it wasn't Daniel.
778
00:35:32,834 --> 00:35:35,543
{\an8}But the medical examiners
office thought they knew
779
00:35:35,567 --> 00:35:37,543
{\an8}who this may have been.
780
00:35:37,567 --> 00:35:39,810
{\an8}You know, it could be
closure for another family.
781
00:35:39,834 --> 00:35:43,209
You know, just to find
their loved one that way.
782
00:35:43,233 --> 00:35:45,910
My heart broke for someone,
783
00:35:45,934 --> 00:35:49,400
but at least Daniel helped
bring someone home.
784
00:35:50,467 --> 00:35:51,767
So, that makes me proud.
785
00:35:53,300 --> 00:35:55,867
[David] Thank you, guys,
for your prayers and support.
786
00:35:55,934 --> 00:35:59,543
Came, um, negative
for anything that's
related to my son.
787
00:35:59,567 --> 00:36:00,607
So, I'm grateful for that,
788
00:36:00,700 --> 00:36:02,620
so, thank you, guys,
for your help and your love.
789
00:36:04,133 --> 00:36:07,867
[Nicole] I can't imagine
how emotional it would
be for the family
790
00:36:07,934 --> 00:36:10,943
to have to continue
to do these searches.
791
00:36:10,967 --> 00:36:14,767
Wanting to find Daniel,
but at the same time,
792
00:36:14,834 --> 00:36:17,443
you don't want it to be
finding him in the desert
793
00:36:17,467 --> 00:36:20,266
because then you know that
you have to lay him to rest.
794
00:36:23,133 --> 00:36:25,443
Trying to get my spirits back
up, it's kinda rough today,
795
00:36:25,467 --> 00:36:28,166
like I say, my spirits
are down, uh, mentally.
796
00:36:28,834 --> 00:36:30,000
Very hard today for me.
797
00:36:30,967 --> 00:36:33,443
Uh, very depressing.
798
00:36:33,467 --> 00:36:35,710
You know, uh, been a long time
799
00:36:35,734 --> 00:36:38,142
searching for my son,
but I'm still pushing it.
800
00:36:38,166 --> 00:36:39,767
And I thank you,
guys, for your support.
801
00:36:39,834 --> 00:36:41,242
God bless you.
802
00:36:41,266 --> 00:36:43,643
Thank you for everything
you do and all your help,
803
00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:45,242
so, keep it going.
804
00:36:45,266 --> 00:36:47,500
The volunteers out there,
they're mothers,
805
00:36:47,567 --> 00:36:49,943
they're fathers,
they're brothers, sisters,
806
00:36:49,967 --> 00:36:51,076
uncles, you name it.
807
00:36:51,100 --> 00:36:53,109
And, you know, I'll say
one thing about 'em,
808
00:36:53,133 --> 00:36:54,443
they're passionate.
809
00:36:54,467 --> 00:36:57,142
I mean, it's hot out there
and they're really looking,
810
00:36:57,166 --> 00:36:59,500
that's the reason we
found human remains.
811
00:36:59,567 --> 00:37:01,687
They're really passionately
looking, they really care.
812
00:37:01,934 --> 00:37:05,109
They show empathy and things
like that and stick out there
with me.
813
00:37:05,133 --> 00:37:08,066
[Rose Gilbert] Mr. Robinson is
so dependent on volunteers,
814
00:37:08,767 --> 00:37:11,166
and if I imagine it that
815
00:37:11,233 --> 00:37:13,600
his son was, like,
someone in my family,
816
00:37:13,667 --> 00:37:16,009
{\an8}that's what got me
coming out, I wanna help
817
00:37:16,033 --> 00:37:19,343
{\an8}and bring closure
to him and his family.
818
00:37:19,367 --> 00:37:20,810
[Margarita Shircel]
We're here for the long haul.
819
00:37:20,834 --> 00:37:23,314
{\an8}There's about a handful
of us that come here
every Saturday, so,
820
00:37:24,033 --> 00:37:25,500
{\an8}I'm not gonna give up.
[chuckles]
821
00:37:25,567 --> 00:37:27,042
{\an8}As long as I'm here, you know?
822
00:37:27,066 --> 00:37:29,843
{\an8}I wanted to get involved
any way that I could
823
00:37:29,867 --> 00:37:31,347
{\an8}and join them for one
of the searches.
824
00:37:32,033 --> 00:37:33,943
The search was pretty scary.
825
00:37:33,967 --> 00:37:36,300
Just the thought
of potentially finding
826
00:37:36,367 --> 00:37:38,500
my friend out there
in the desert,
827
00:37:39,100 --> 00:37:41,242
but it was definitely
828
00:37:41,266 --> 00:37:44,343
warmed my heart to see how
many people had shown up.
829
00:37:44,367 --> 00:37:47,543
These random strangers
that had all gathered together
830
00:37:47,567 --> 00:37:50,600
for this kid that they
had never even met.
831
00:37:50,667 --> 00:37:52,242
{\an8}You know, no matter what's
going on in our lives,
832
00:37:52,266 --> 00:37:53,543
{\an8}this is important.
833
00:37:53,567 --> 00:37:55,443
We've dedicated
ourselves to this
834
00:37:55,467 --> 00:37:59,109
and he needs the help
so we're there for him
835
00:37:59,133 --> 00:38:00,133
as long as it takes.
836
00:38:00,667 --> 00:38:02,343
[David] I had
an aunty, and she said,
837
00:38:02,367 --> 00:38:05,042
"David, when will there be
a time to come to your head
838
00:38:05,066 --> 00:38:06,767
to say, 'enough is enough...
839
00:38:08,567 --> 00:38:10,834
I did all I can'
and just move on?"
840
00:38:11,567 --> 00:38:13,543
Um, that was hard for me.
841
00:38:13,567 --> 00:38:14,910
That is still hard for me.
842
00:38:14,934 --> 00:38:17,042
I can't even get that
in my brain, you know?
843
00:38:17,066 --> 00:38:19,910
There's not a time
where I could actually
say that to myself.
844
00:38:19,934 --> 00:38:23,600
I can't even envision
a date when I will say,
845
00:38:23,667 --> 00:38:26,543
"Yeah, I think I did enough,
846
00:38:26,567 --> 00:38:28,767
and enough is enough and it's
time for me stop now."
847
00:38:30,834 --> 00:38:32,209
[Nicole] In September,
848
00:38:32,233 --> 00:38:34,710
Daniel had been missing
for three months now.
849
00:38:34,734 --> 00:38:37,867
At this time,
Gabby Petito goes missing,
850
00:38:37,934 --> 00:38:39,667
{\an8}and you start seeing
these headlines
851
00:38:39,734 --> 00:38:44,076
{\an8}on national outlets
just asking for help
in finding her.
852
00:38:44,100 --> 00:38:46,667
And you see Gabby Petito's
face everywhere.
853
00:38:46,734 --> 00:38:47,976
{\an8}Missing for weeks,
854
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,600
{\an8}now, the family
of the North Port woman
855
00:38:49,667 --> 00:38:52,400
{\an8}who was last heard
from in August
856
00:38:52,467 --> 00:38:55,300
{\an8}while on a cross country
drive with her boyfriend
wants answers.
857
00:38:55,367 --> 00:38:57,009
You see the coverage
of Gabby Petito
858
00:38:57,033 --> 00:38:59,109
{\an8}and then you had on social media
859
00:38:59,133 --> 00:39:00,173
{\an8}people raising the concern
860
00:39:00,967 --> 00:39:04,343
{\an8}that there are people of color
missing across the country
861
00:39:04,367 --> 00:39:06,767
{\an8}who aren't getting
the same type of coverage,
862
00:39:06,834 --> 00:39:10,743
{\an8}and I think that's what really
brought to life Daniel's case.
863
00:39:10,767 --> 00:39:14,242
{\an8}And Daniel's family
were starting to get
this national coverage
864
00:39:14,266 --> 00:39:16,300
{\an8}that they had been seeking.
865
00:39:16,367 --> 00:39:20,242
Right now, about 600,000
missing persons are
in the U.S.,
866
00:39:20,266 --> 00:39:21,443
many of them are people of color
867
00:39:21,467 --> 00:39:23,843
whose cases have not
gotten the same attention
868
00:39:23,867 --> 00:39:26,600
of those of young white
women like Gabby Petito.
869
00:39:26,667 --> 00:39:29,142
At that moment,
I was so excited,
870
00:39:29,166 --> 00:39:32,109
I'm like, "Oh, my gosh,
like, someone's actually,
you know, heard our story,
871
00:39:32,133 --> 00:39:34,500
all of our hard work
is finally getting out there
872
00:39:34,567 --> 00:39:37,976
that, you know, he's missing,
like, maybe this can really
help us
873
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,076
get this going."
874
00:39:39,100 --> 00:39:41,600
The attention paid
to the Gabby Petito mystery
875
00:39:41,667 --> 00:39:43,810
is raising questions about
others who disappear
876
00:39:43,834 --> 00:39:46,600
with little if any coverage.
877
00:39:46,667 --> 00:39:49,076
For instance, 24-year-old
geologist Daniel Robinson
878
00:39:49,100 --> 00:39:52,643
vanished after work one
day in Buckeye, Arizona.
879
00:39:52,667 --> 00:39:55,500
His father believes people
of color who go missing
880
00:39:55,567 --> 00:39:57,076
are generally disregarded.
881
00:39:57,100 --> 00:39:59,109
[David]
Every situation should be
handled the same way.
882
00:39:59,133 --> 00:40:00,133
Yeah.
883
00:40:00,333 --> 00:40:02,910
Uh, I think, um, the first
24, 48 hours is crucial,
884
00:40:02,934 --> 00:40:04,500
um, to find someone.
885
00:40:04,567 --> 00:40:07,767
{\an8}We shouldn't have
to depend on other
stories or other cases
886
00:40:08,734 --> 00:40:11,443
{\an8}to push our own story.
887
00:40:11,467 --> 00:40:14,843
{\an8}And I just, I just want,
we just want answers
888
00:40:14,867 --> 00:40:16,142
{\an8}just like anyone else.
889
00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:18,976
{\an8}I think, you know, my brother
or everyone else's brother
890
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,443
{\an8}or father, siblings,
whoever they may be,
891
00:40:21,467 --> 00:40:23,443
{\an8}they deserve the same attention.
892
00:40:23,467 --> 00:40:25,843
{\an8}Look, and Daniel is
a very special person.
893
00:40:25,867 --> 00:40:28,767
{\an8}We hope some more
eyeballs on this case
894
00:40:28,834 --> 00:40:30,234
{\an8}might get some more
answers for you,
895
00:40:31,567 --> 00:40:33,767
{\an8}uh, as you continue
your search for him.
896
00:40:33,834 --> 00:40:36,600
It was kind of that
really sad feeling
897
00:40:36,667 --> 00:40:38,843
knowing that everyone
is seeing this
898
00:40:38,867 --> 00:40:42,543
and there's still no
indication on what
happened to him.
899
00:40:42,567 --> 00:40:44,643
We're asking
for the people at home,
900
00:40:44,667 --> 00:40:46,987
um, to keep sending
your thoughts and prayers
to our family.
901
00:40:48,734 --> 00:40:51,734
This kind of thing is
very difficult, very
hard to go through
902
00:40:53,166 --> 00:40:54,710
This is something that you
see on TV and you think,
903
00:40:54,734 --> 00:40:57,867
"Oh, my gosh, this would
never happen to my family,
we're different."
904
00:40:58,934 --> 00:41:00,214
And you can't
do anything really,
905
00:41:01,066 --> 00:41:03,543
but just hope that
we get closure.
906
00:41:03,567 --> 00:41:05,543
We hope that we can
bring him home to us,
907
00:41:05,567 --> 00:41:07,543
so, if you see something,
say something,
908
00:41:07,567 --> 00:41:09,667
if you know something,
pass it along.
909
00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,843
[Nicole] I think the best
case scenario right now
910
00:41:13,867 --> 00:41:17,242
is just finding out what
happened to Daniel.
911
00:41:17,266 --> 00:41:20,042
And even if it's finding a body,
912
00:41:20,066 --> 00:41:22,500
his family deserves finding that
913
00:41:22,567 --> 00:41:24,100
so they can lay him to rest.
914
00:41:25,500 --> 00:41:27,142
[David] Um, when I go
out to the desert search,
915
00:41:27,166 --> 00:41:30,000
{\an8}being realistically, you know,
I can't see him surviving
out there
916
00:41:31,233 --> 00:41:33,543
{\an8}with no clothing on, you know,
917
00:41:33,567 --> 00:41:36,443
{\an8}so, I had to come to a point
where I had to just be real
918
00:41:36,467 --> 00:41:39,543
{\an8}and say, "Hey, David,
if you're out here looking
for your son in the desert,
919
00:41:39,567 --> 00:41:40,887
{\an8}you know what
you're looking for."
920
00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:47,209
{\an8}[Melissa] In the end, I feel
that my son is still here.
921
00:41:47,233 --> 00:41:49,667
{\an8}I feel that he's still
alive somewhere.
922
00:41:51,166 --> 00:41:52,767
{\an8}I can't move
until you come home.
923
00:41:53,934 --> 00:41:56,242
{\an8}I won't change my cellphone,
I won't move my address,
924
00:41:56,266 --> 00:41:58,543
{\an8}I have to, he has
to just come home.
925
00:41:58,567 --> 00:42:00,000
{\an8}Let us help you come home.