The case of missing Virginia high school coach Travis Turner has escalated sharply after authorities and his family revealed new details. The U.S. Marshals Service is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his capture — even as his wife, Leslie Caudill Turner, has deleted all her social media accounts after initially defending him publicly.
Turner, formerly the head coach at Union High School in Big Stone Gap, vanished on November 20, moments before police arrived at his home to interview him. Turner reportedly fled into a nearby wooded, mountainous area carrying a handgun — his last known contact with family.
His disappearance coincides with serious legal accusations: he has been charged with five counts of child pornography possession and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. The charges emerged after investigators reportedly discovered evidence linked to these crimes.
Initially, his wife publicly denied all allegations. She reportedly told media, “None of that is true. I don’t know anything.” However in the days following the story’s escalation, she removed all online presence, prompting observers to question whether the family is retreating from mounting scrutiny.
As federal and local law enforcement agencies intensify the manhunt, the Marshals Service has urged anyone with information to contact 911, the Virginia State Police, or the Marshals’ tip line at 1-877-WANTED2.
Meanwhile, the school district has already acted. Turner was placed on administrative leave shortly after his disappearance, removed from the school’s website, and at least one district employee has been suspended in connection with the investigation — though officials have not disclosed further details.
Family attorney Adrian Collins has maintained that at the time Turner disappeared there was no arrest warrant in hand; he merely left home with a firearm and walked into the nearby woods. The family continues to assert his innocence and says they remain fully cooperative with investigators.
The situation has turned a once-celebrated high school football coach — known for leading an undefeated team — into the subject of an urgent statewide manhunt. As law enforcement agencies work to locate Turner, communities are left searching for answers and asking how someone entrusted with working around children could now be at the center of such serious charges.
