David Robinson, father of missing geologist Daniel Robinson, is running for Congress

David Robinson hasn't lost hope that his son Daniel will be found.

That hope has led him to want to make a difference. And now it's led to him announce that he will be running for Congress in District 2 of his home state of South Carolina.

Daniel Robinson was a 24-year-old geologist living in Tempe. He was last seen on June 23, 2021, at his worksite in Buckeye. The missing person case remains unsolved, but his father isn't giving up.

Daniel Robinson's Jeep was found crashed in a ravine. While Buckeye police initially ruled out foul play, David Robinson isn't so sure that explanation makes sense.

A private investigator employed by David Robinson released information late last year speculating the crash site had been set up. According to David, the investigator found the car had been driven 11 miles after its air bags were deployed.

Over the years, David Robinson has expressed frustration about his son's case not being treated as a crime scene. Robinson, a Democrat, hopes to focus on helping change the way that missing persons cases are treated in the country.

Over 650,000 people go missing in the United States every year, Robinson said.

"Three thousand five hundred, every day, 2,300 of them are children going missing every day. We definitely have to do something about that. And, you know, call it what it is: a crisis," Robinson said.

Through his son's case, Robinson said he's learned a lot about how law enforcement and different agencies handle missing persons cases. And he hopes to take that knowledge to Congress to help make missing persons cases easier for families.

Daniel Robinson: Private investigator releases new findings in unsolved missing geologist case

For example, some agencies require people to wait a certain number of hours before they can report a missing person. But people shouldn't have to wait, Robinson said.

Robinson said he also still hasn't been able to receive the pings from his son's cellphone the day he went missing. In missing persons cases, cellphone pings can provide a clue as to where the person may be. But law enforcement typically needs a warrant to access those pings, Robinson said.

And telecommunications companies also typically have a retention time. So, if law enforcement waits too long, the companies may not even have the data anymore. But Robinson said people should have the right to obtain their data without having to go through a judge.

"We know that nothing ever really disappears. So, we have to release that to the owners of that data," Robinson said.

Because Daniel's case was never treated as a criminal case, David said the Buckeye Police Department was never able to get a warrant to access Daniel's cellphone data.

Cases like Alicia Navarro's are what continue to give David Robinson hope. Navarro, an Arizona teen who went missing in 2019, was found last year in Montana.

"I feel that sometimes, you know, God has his way of bringing some great things out of something tragic," Robinson said.

While Robinson will be focusing on missing persons cases, he will also be focusing on local issues in District 2 in South Carolina, which sits on the border with Georgia and is where he grew up. Robinson hopes to focus on education and infrastructure issues, among others.

Robinson continues to maintain an active social media presence, where he continues to provide updates on his son's case. He also a website dedicated to his son's case and a website dedicated to his campaign.

Reach the reporter at ahardle@gannett.com or by phone at 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @AlexandraHardle.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The father of missing geologist Daniel Robinson to run for Congress