For more than a month, a Virginia high school football coach charged with felony child pornography charges has been missing after disappearing from his home without a trace.
His sudden flight and subsequent disappearance left behind a stunned community – including his wife, children and the team he once led – and a host of unanswered questions.
His family believes Travis Turner, 46, walked out of his home on Nov. 20 in Appalachia carrying a firearm and disappeared into the dense, mountainous forest. He has not been seen since.
Virginia State Police said they were on their way to visit Turner at his home, but when they arrived, the coach was already gone. Days later, they announced that the coach was wanted on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor.
Here’s what we know.
Last seen
The last known contact Turner’s family had with him was Thursday, Nov. 20, when he took off with a firearm in nearby woods, the family’s attorney, Adrian Collins, said in a statement. At that time, no arrest warrant had been issued for him.
“Criminal charges were not obtained against Turner until several days after he failed to return home,” he added. “He was not a fugitive, nor was he wanted by law enforcement at the time he disappeared. His wife did not help him escape, she asked for help to find him.”
When Turner failed to return home that night, his wife immediately contacted local authorities, but was told a missing person report could not be filed until 24 hours had passed, according to Collins. The next day, she officially reported him missing to the Virginia State Police. The family has cooperated fully with law enforcement in their ongoing search for Turner, Collins said.
An aerial view of Appalachia, Virginia is shown. – WCYB
“Police are actively searching for Turner. Since his disappearance, VSP has used a number of assets, including search and rescue teams, drones and k9s, to assist in the search. VSP’s top priority is the safe location of Turner; he is now considered a fugitive,” Virginia State Police said in their only statement, issued Nov. 25.
The United States Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about Turner, the agency announced on its Facebook page Dec. 1.
CNN reached out to the Virginia State Police and US Marshals for an update, but did not hear back.
Husband, father and coach
Turner’s family released an updated statement through Collins, their attorney, confirming that their homes and properties “have been searched on multiple occasions, with their consent.”
Turner left her car and keys at home, as well as her contact lenses, glasses, wallet, license and money, Collins said. Turner also left behind his daily prescription medication, “which he needs,” the attorney said. “It’s not like Travis is going to disappear or stay away from home.”
Turner, who was listed as a physical education teacher at Union High School in a now-removed listing from the school’s online staff list, was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses, state police said. The agency did not share any details about when or where he was last seen or who may have last seen him.
“If Travis has the capacity and is able to meet his family’s wishes, your wife and children are in trouble. Leslie is asking you to come home and face the charges by defending yourself in court,” Collins said. “Don’t let your family fight this fight without you. They love and miss you. They want you to know that they are your support.”
Travis Lee Turner was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, sweatpants and glasses, according to Virginia State Police. – Virginia State Police
In an email to CNN on Tuesday, Wise County Public Schools Superintendent Mike Goforth said the district “is aware that law enforcement has filed charges against a staff member who has been on administrative leave.” Turner is not allowed on school property or to have contact with students, Goforth said.
In the heart of rural Appalachia, a tight-knit West Virginia community of fewer than 2,000 people, rocked by unimaginable allegations, rallied behind its high school football team, whose short-lived season of triumph felt like a bittersweet battle for redemption.
On Facebook, the community was vocal and adamant, insisting that the spotlight should be on the players, not the allegations surrounding their coach.
“The student athletes are not the ones being accused and should be left out of all of this,” Mountain 7 Sports Report, which covers student games, said in a social media post. Parents of football players and other members of the community responded in agreement.
Court records were sealed
Beyond confirming that Turner is wanted on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor, Virginia State Police have not released any other information about the case against Turner and the crimes he is accused of.
On Dec. 9, the Wise County Clerk of Courts told CNN affiliate WCYB that a judge ordered the sealing of all records related to the Turner investigation, including the order that sealed them.
The Wise County School Board met for the first time since Turner’s disappearance on Dec. 8. During the meeting, the board president declined to address questions about personnel issues, saying the board’s priority remains students. Public comment was also removed from the meeting agenda.
An ongoing search and the mystery of his disappearance
Since Turner’s disappearance, authorities have used search and rescue teams, drones and police dogs to try to locate him, state police said.
The search for the area, nestled in a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, is not easy.
Its rugged topography, carved by rivers and forests with elevations ranging from low valleys to high peaks, creates a challenging environment for search and rescue operations.
Beyond police dogs and foot traffic, authorities may need to rely on technology, such as motion sensors left in an area of interest that send signals to the search team’s base, or drones with heat-sensing abilities that can track movement, said John Miller, CNN’s chief police and intelligence analyst. This isn’t a perfect science, he notes, given all the work such sensors take up.
If Turner is in the woods, the weather could affect how he does. Since its disappearance, the area has seen warmer-than-normal temperatures during the day and overnight — sometimes with light rainfall, but not enough to flood the area, according to CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert.
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