The Virginia State Police have launched a manhunt for Union High School football coach Travis L. Turner, 46, who has been declared a fugitive following his disappearance. Authorities have obtained 10 warrants, issued Monday, to charge Turner with five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. The investigation remains ongoing, with additional charges pending. Turner, who disappeared last week, is now a fugitive, the VSP stated. Authorities said Turner was first reported missing on Friday, Nov. 21, one day after troopers went to his home in Appalachia, Virginia. As part of the early stages of an investigation, special agents were en route to his residence on Thursday but learned he had vanished. Since his disappearance, police have deployed search and rescue teams, drones, and K-9 units to locate him. The VSP emphasized that their main priority is locating Turner safely, noting the search is ongoing across multiple jurisdictions.
Leslie Caudill Turner, the wife of the missing coach, responded to the charges, stating that none of the allegations are true. She described her husband as a good dad and a good husband, stressing they want him home and that she knows nothing. Authorities are urging the public to contact Virginia State Police Division 4 for any information on Turner’s whereabouts. A recently surfaced video from the Union Sports Network’s Instagram feed is believed to show Turner’s final public interview before his disappearance, highlighting his team’s resilience and their upcoming match against defending state champion Graham High School. However, Turner’s disappearance has left the rural Virginia community reeling, with Wise County Public Schools placing a staff member on administrative leave pending a review of an external allegation, although it was not confirmed if it involved Turner. In an updated statement, the county acknowledged that law enforcement has now filed charges against the staff member. Turner comes from a long-established football family, with his late father, Tom Turner, coaching at Apalachee High School and leading his teams to five state championships during a 26-year career before his death in 2006.