When 24-year-old geologist Daniel Robinson went missing in the Arizona desert in June, he was obsessed with a woman he barely knew and disappeared just hours after sending her a desperate final text message, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
'The world can get better, but I'll have to take all the time I can or we can, whatever, to name it,' he wrote to the woman identified only as Katelyn.
'I'll either see you again or never see you again.'
Eighteen hours later, Robinson turned up at a remote work site deep in the Arizona desert outside the booming town of Buckeye. He stayed for 15 minutes, then drove off. He has not been seen or heard from since.
But his obsession with the woman he met delivering her liquor while working his side job and his despondency over her unrequited feelings has - up to now - been overlooked.
Robinson's case has been cited as evidence that the media spends too much of its time reporting on missing white women such as Gabby Petito and not enough on people of color.
Geologist Daniel Robinson, 24, has been missing since June 23, when he was last seen leaving his worksite in Buckeye, Arizona
Robinson's family have been organizing civilian search parties where he was last seen and have accused cops of failing to conduct a thorough investigation
Robinson showed up to work at 9:30 am at a remote desert site but abruptly left a short time after in his blue Jeep renegade and was never seen again. His car was found almost a month later on July 19, at the bottom of a 20-foot ravine (pictured)
MSNBC's Joy Reid mentioned his case on air, saying she had 'never heard of it until this friend of mine sent it to me. And I guess, that's the issue, isn't it?'
Her guest, Lynette Grey Bull of the Not Our Native Daughters Foundation, called the media's lack of focus on Robinson's case 'systemic racism.'
Other media outlets have carefully skirted Robinson's relationship with Katelyn - whom he only met while delivering alcohol at her home.
The Independent wrote a lengthy piece under the title 'Daniel Robinson: Everything we know about geologist missing in Arizona desert under bizarre circumstances' without mentioning the key evidence.
NewsNation reported on his father's determination to find the truth, again without mentioning Katelyn.
His father, disabled Army vet David Robinson, has been in Arizona for months trying to find out what happened to his son
CNN had a piece on how black people are frustrated with the media over coverage, but again Katelyn's existence was nowhere to be found, even though it is key in the report prepared by Buckeye police.
Robinson - who was born without his right hand - met Katelyn on his side job delivering groceries for Instacart.
When he turned up with a booze order at her home in the Phoenix suburb of Laveen on June 12, Katelyn and a friend who was with her, invited him in.
'Katelyn said she believed Daniel was very nice and she and her female friend asked Daniel if he wanted to hang out with them,' the police report said.
'Katelyn said she and her female friend "were drunk" and that looking back on it, she shouldn't have invited a stranger into her home.'
She added that she thought he was 'harmless as he only had one arm and was short in height.'
Katelyn - whose last name is redacted in reports - and Daniel exchanged numbers, but she insists, nothing else happened.
Within a week, he arrived at her house unannounced, and with only a brief exchange of messages between them, Robinson texted Katelyn: 'I couldn't stop thinking about you.'
Robinson's case has been cited as evidence that the media spends too much of its time reporting on missing white women such as Gabby Petito - whose disappearance last month generated international intrigue - and not enough on people of color
Media outlets, however, have failed to mention a key part of a Buckeye Police report that revealed Robinson had become obsessed with a Phoenix woman he barely knew and disappeared just hours after sending her a desperate final text message
Robinson believes the Petito investigation unexpectedly elevated his son's case. He has claimed cops have been providing updates due to the public pressure
By June 20 his message was 'I love you.' She tried to rebuff him.
'Honestly you showing up at my house unannounced made me extremely uncomfortable, she replied. 'I don't see us hanging out any time soon.'
The next day he turned up at her house again.
'This isn't normal nor acceptable,' Katelyn told him. 'If someone has expressed that you've made them uncomfortable, you need to back off.'
'Do you hate me?' Daniel replied. 'I don't hate you but please leave me alone,' Katelyn texted back.
He took 15 hours to respond with his final text to her. Eighteen hours after that he vanished.
Police were so alarmed at Robinson's messages to a woman he hardly knew that they advised Katelyn about stalker laws and suggested she might want to make an official complaint.
Workmate Roger Prutsman was also concerned about his colleague. He told police he knew something was wrong.
When he asked Robinson what was bothering him, he replied: 'What if there was a girl you liked, but you couldn't have?'
Robinson, the youngest of four children, grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated from the College of Charleston.
Robinson - who was born with one hand - was the youngest of four children. He grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated from the College of Charleston
Daniel's Jeep, which private investigator Jeff McGrath claims raises a lot of questions about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. The vehicle was found with its airbags deployed and with Daniel's wallet, clothes, phone and credit card inside
Daniel's father said his son's clothes, possessions and car were handed over to him as soon as he arrived in Arizona from
