Football coach who went missing before undefeated team's playoff game is
wanted on criminal charges
[November 26, 2025]
BIG STONE GAP, Va. (AP) — A Virginia high school football coach who
disappeared days before his undefeated team's playoff game is being
sought on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and using a
computer to solicit a minor, Virginia State Police said Tuesday.
Police said Travis L. Turner, 46, of Appalachia, Virginia, is wanted on
warrants obtained Monday for five counts of each charge, adding that
additional charges are pending as an investigation continues. They did
not share details about what prompted the charges.
Turner has been missing since last Thursday, when state police special
agents from a Bureau of Criminal Investigation office were sent to his
home, not to arrest him but to talk to him as part of an investigation.
As officers traveled there they were notified that he was gone, police
said. The subsequent search nearby has included drones, dogs and rescue
teams, police said.
The Associated Press left a message seeking comment Tuesday at a phone
number associated with Turner. The court did not yet have a case docket
that would list any attorney for him, and records connected to his
charges were not made available by the court or state police.
Turner is the football coach at Union High School in southwest
Virginia’s Wise County. Union has strung together 12 straight wins to
remain undefeated this season and advance to a regional final this
Saturday.
Before coaching Union's team, Turner was a quarterback at Appalachia
High School, which merged into Union High School in 2011. His father,
Tom Turner, was also his high school football coach. Tom Turner was
inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2005.
[to top of second column]
|
This combination of photos provided by the Virginia State Police
shows Travis L. Turner, a southwest Virginia high school football
coach who went missing and has been charged with possession of child
pornography. (Virginia State Police via AP)
Online records indicate Travis Turner was in Virginia Tech's 1998
recruiting class alongside future NFL quarterback Michael Vick, and
also went on to play football at University of Virginia Wise in
1999.
Defensive coordinator Jason Edwards stepped in as interim head coach
in Union’s victory over Graham last weekend, according to the
Bristol Herald Courier, which also reported that Bears players
didn’t want to talk afterward about the situation involving Turner.
WCYB reported that senior running back Keith Chandler said, “We
talked in the huddle, and we said: ‘Listen boys, we’re going to have
to handle adversity here. We stick together as brothers here, and we
should come out with the victory.’”
Asked about Turner, Division Superintendent Mike Goforth told the AP
in an emailed statement that Wise County Public Schools is aware of
charges filed “against a staff member who has been on administrative
leave” and that the person isn't allowed to be on school property or
have contact with students. He didn’t disclose when or why that
leave began, and said school officials wouldn’t comment further
because it’s an ongoing legal matter involving personnel.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
