A missing football coach from Virginia, wanted on multiple child pornography charges, was last seen walking into a wooded area with a firearm, according to his family's attorney. Travis Turner, 46, head coach of Union High School in Big Stone Gap, has been missing since 20 November.
Turner left his home in Appalachia, a town of fewer than 2,000 residents, to walk into a “heavily wooded and mountainous area,” attorney Adrian Collins said in a statement. When he failed to return that evening, his wife contacted local law enforcement but was told she needed to wait 24 hours before filing a missing-person report.
Five days after his disappearance, authorities announced ten warrants charging Turner with five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. Additional charges are expected, and he is now considered a fugitive, Virginia State Police said.
Police had visited Turner's home on 20 November to speak with him as part of an early investigation but were not seeking to arrest him at that time. His wife, Leslie Caudill Turner, has denied the allegations, telling The Daily Mail: “None of that is true. He’s a good dad and a good husband, and we want him home.”
Virginia State Police have launched an extensive search across Wise County, deploying drones, K-9 teams, and ground crews. Turner was last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt, sweatpants, and glasses. Anyone with information is urged to contact Virginia State Police at (276) 228-3131.
