A Virginia high school football coach, who became the subject of a child pornography investigation, vanished after being last seen entering a wooded area with a firearm, according to a family lawyer.

Travis L. Turner, the esteemed head coach at Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, was reported to have left his home on November 20 to venture into a densely forested and mountainous region, as stated by attorney Adrian Collins. This information was shared in a statement released to WCYB on the family’s behalf.

“The family last communicated with Travis around November 20 when he departed from his home carrying a firearm, heading into the woods,” the statement revealed. It also clarified that no arrest warrants had been issued before his disappearance.

Turner, recognized for his achievements as a high school football coach in Virginia, entered the wilderness with a gun amidst the ongoing investigation. (Leslie Turner/Facebook)

When Turner failed to return home that evening, his wife contacted local authorities. However, she was advised to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report, according to the statement. She subsequently filed the report with the Virginia State Police the following day.

The family said that they, along with friends, have searched the surrounding woods, though their efforts have been limited by bad weather and the need to avoid interfering with the official search.

On Tuesday, five days after Turner was last seen, authorities announced that they had obtained 10 warrants to charge him with five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. 

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are pending. Turner is now considered a fugitive, the VSP said.

Virginia State Police are searching for Union High football coach Travis Turner, whose disappearance has stunned the Big Stone Gap community. (Virginia State Police)

Turner was reported missing on Friday, Nov. 21 — a day after he was last seen — as Virginia State Police investigators were returning to his Appalachia home to speak with him about the case. Police said they had visited the home on Nov. 20, the day he disappeared, and were not seeking to arrest him at that time.

Turner’s wife Leslie Caudill Turner responded after her husband was charged, telling The Daily Mail that “none of that is true.”

“He’s a good dad and a good husband, and we want him home. That’s it,” she said. “I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything. I’m sorry.”

Travis Turner disappeared from his family’s home in Appalachia, Virginia on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Authorities announced that they have obtained 10 warrants to charge Turner with five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. (Facebook/Leslie Caudill Turner)

Police have launched an extensive search across Wise County utilizing drones, K-9 units and foot patrols. He was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses, according to Virginia’s missing person database.

Anyone with information about Turner’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Virginia State Police at (276) 228-3131.