Appalachia, Virginia — A beloved high school football coach from rural Virginia has vanished without a trace — just as investigators prepared to confront him over a shocking child exploitation case.
Virginia State Police have declared 46-year-old Travis L. Turner, head coach of the undefeated Union High School Bears, a fugitive after he disappeared days before being charged with multiple counts of child pornography and online solicitation of a minor.
Turner, once hailed as the pride of Wise County football, was last seen on November 21 — just one day after investigators arrived at his home in Appalachia. According to authorities, officers weren’t there to arrest him yet — only to begin an investigation.
But when special agents with the State Police’s Wytheville Field Office arrived, Turner was gone.
“By the time we reached the residence, he had already vanished,” a state investigator told local reporters under condition of anonymity. “It was as if he’d planned his disappearance.”
Search teams have since deployed drones, dogs, and ground units across several counties. “Our main priority is locating Turner safely,” Virginia State Police said in a statement. “We are treating this as both a missing-person and a fugitive investigation.”
Turner now faces 10 felony charges — five for possession of child pornography and five for using a computer to solicit a minor. Police warn more charges may be coming.
Just a week before his disappearance, Turner had been leading Union High to an undefeated playoff run. In what’s now believed to be his last public appearance, he appeared upbeat and confident during a November 15 post-game interview after his team’s 40–7 victory.
“I thought our kids adjusted, played hard and overcame some adversity,” he said with a smile on the Union Sports Network’s Instagram feed. “There was no panic. We just continued the course and played football.”
Locals who watched that interview now say they’re haunted by how normal he seemed. “You’d never know something was wrong,” said fan and alum Nate Powers. “He was just talking football — like always.”
Union High and the surrounding community are still struggling to comprehend the scandal. Superintendent Dr. Mike Goforth confirmed that a staff member — now identified as Turner — had been placed on paid administrative leave amid an “external investigation.”
“This is standard procedure and is not a determination of wrongdoing,” Goforth said earlier this month. After Tuesday’s announcement of formal charges, he added, “The individual remains on leave and is not permitted on school property or to have contact with students.”
Parents describe a sense of betrayal. “He coached our kids, traveled with them, motivated them,” said one mother outside the school, declining to give her name. “We trusted him. Now everyone’s terrified and confused.”
Turner’s wife, Leslie, took to Facebook after he went missing, begging for prayers.
“We love him and need him here with us,” she wrote in a now-deleted post obtained by local reporters. “Just keep praying that he comes home.”
Friends say Leslie has been “devastated and silent” since learning of the charges.
Turner comes from a respected football lineage. His late father, Tom Turner, was a championship-winning coach who led Apalachee High to five state titles before his death in 2006.
As the days pass with no trace of Turner, investigators have expanded their search radius. According to police sources, the FBI and neighboring state agencies are assisting with digital forensics and regional tracking.
Turner’s vehicle and phone have not been located.
“This man has resources and deep community ties,” said retired NYPD Inspector Paul Mauro on Fox News. “If he’s on the run, he knows how to disappear — and small-town networks can make that easier.”
In Big Stone Gap — where Turner led generations of players to victory — the atmosphere is tense. Some former players have publicly defended their coach, while others say they feel betrayed.
“He gave us discipline, pride, and purpose,” one former player said. “But if it’s true what they’re saying, I don’t even know who that man was.”
Source: Virginia State Police, Fox News Digital, News Channel 11, local media reports.
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