It was supposed to be a triumphant story – his team undefeated, the cheers still ringing, the playoffs within reach. Instead, it turned into a tale of disappearance, criminal charges, and a community left reeling. On November 20, 2025, 46‑year‑old head football coach Travis Turner, who led Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, vanished into thin air. What followed was a manhunt, a flurry of warrants, and a stunned small‑town school system grappling with scandal.
That Thursday evening, special agents from the Virginia State Police (VSP) were en route to Turner’s home in Appalachia, Wise County, not for an arrest—but to question him about an investigation. But by the time they arrived, he was reportedly gone. By the following Monday, Turner was officially listed as a missing person, last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and glasses.
On November 25, the VSP announced that they had secured ten warrants for Turner: five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. They labelled him a fugitive and expanded their search efforts, deploying K‑9s, drones and search‑and‑rescue teams across the rugged terrain of southwest Virginia.
For Turner’s school and community, the timing could not have been more dramatic. Union High School, home to nearly 660 students in the far‑southwest corner of Virginia, was in the midst of a 12‑0 season and heading into a regional title game. With their head coach missing, the defensive coordinator, Jay Edwards, stepped in. The team rallied, defeating their opponent 12‑0 and advancing further in the playoffs—even as questions swirled.
Meanwhile, the school district, Wise County Public Schools, confirmed that a staff member was placed on administrative leave amid an external investigation—though they declined to say whether that person was Turner or connected to his case. The community that just weeks ago was celebrating its football program was now asking hard questions: what prompted the investigation? Where is the coach? And how did all this happen so quickly?
Family and friends are desperate for answers. In a since‑deleted Facebook post, Turner’s wife, Leslie Turner, wrote: “We love him & need him here with us… Just keep praying that he comes home.” The revelation of the criminal investigation undercuts any notion this was merely a missing‑person case—it’s now layered with charges and a fugitive search.
As the community watches the search unfold, law enforcement has asked anyone with information to contact Virginia State Police Division 4 at 276‑484‑9483 or email [email protected]. The case remains very much active, with additional charges still pending.
Behind the headlines and legal filings lies a small town’s heartbreak: a coach who guided young men on Friday nights now missing, accused of unspeakable offenses, and leaving a program, a school, and a community to carry on without him. The winning streak continues for now—yet the story is far from over.
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