1 day ago
29
It has been revealed that fugitive high school football coach Travis Turner was armed with a gun when he disappeared into the woods - just hours before police arrived to question him on child sex charges.
Turner, 46, has been the subject of a massive manhunt in Virginia since last Thursday, November 20, when he vanished from his home in Appalachia.
While authorities have since issued warrants for his arrest on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of soliciting a minor, details of his final movements had remained murky.
Now, a statement released by the family's attorney, Adrian Collins, has shed disturbing new light on the situation.
His statement read: 'On behalf of the family of Travis Turner, I wish to express their sincere gratitude to all who have shown concern during this difficult time.
'The last known contact the family had with Travis occurred on or about Thursday, November 20, after he left his residence to walk in the woods with a firearm. He is believed to have entered a heavily wooded and mountainous area. At which point, no warrants had been issued for his arrest.
Missing high school football coach Travis Turner is wanted on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor
Turner's wife Leslie has called for prayers to find her husband and praised him for being a 'good dad and a good husband'
'When Travis did not return home that evening, his wife promptly notified local law enforcement. She was advised that a missing-person report could not be taken until at least 24 hours had passed.
'The following day, she filed a missing-person report with the Virginia State Police. The family has cooperated fully with law-enforcement in their ongoing efforts to locate Travis.
'Family members and friends have also conducted search efforts in the surrounding woods. These efforts have been limited by weather conditions and with respect for the official operations underway.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to the family's attorney, Adrian Collins, for comment.
The latest developments come just days after Turner's wife exclusively told the Daily Mail that the child porn charges against her husband are untrue.
At the couple's home in Appalachia, Turner's paralegal wife Leslie, also 46, said she had no knowledge of her husband's alleged inappropriate contact with minors.
'I don't know anything. I don't know anything. I'm sorry,' she said.
When asked about the child porn charges for which police are seeking Turner, Leslie rose to her husband's defense: 'None of that is true. He's a good dad and a good husband and we want him home. That's it.'
She added that it remains a difficult time for the family as police continue to search for Turner, who vanished late last week.
Turner's sudden disappearance came after he led Union to an undefeated season and the team ranked among the top in the state within their division
Travis Turner is pictured alongside wife Leslie, who is a fixture at Union High football games
'We are all just hanging in there until we get news,' she said.
Cops continue to hunt for the missing 46-year-old father-of-three, who is 'now considered a fugitive' after vanishing from his home in Appalachia, close to the Kentucky border, last Thursday, November 20.
Turner disappeared as special agents from the Virginia Bureau of Criminal Investigation traveled to his home as part of their investigation. They were not on their way to arrest him, the force said.
Turner was last seen entering the woods near his home, prompting officers to focus on the area surrounding his home. He was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and glasses.
Police have been utilizing search and rescue teams, drones and even K9 units to track down Turner after they were unable to locate him last Thursday night.
Meanwhile, in a haunting video obtained by the Daily Mail, Turner talked about challenges and overcoming adversity in his final interview before fleeing his home.
In a post-game interview praising his side, the Union Bears, after their 40-7 opening round playoff win over the Lee High School Generals, Turner told Mountain Mojo Sports Talk: 'I thought our kids played hard and I thought we overcame some adversity.'
He suggested that despite Lee initially controlling the game the Bears defensive players did a good job of 'limiting their offense a little bit'.
A younger Turner is seen alongside his wife, Leslie. The couple lives in Western Virginia
Turner has officially been declared a missing person
But Turner gave no clue it would be his final post-match interview when asked about the challenges his players would face in their next game against the Graham High School 'G-men'.
'They're super athletic, they're right down there defending state champions…one of the top teams in two-way,' he went on.
'We've played those guys 15-16 times, I guess it seems like they know us and we know them.
'So it's gonna be a tough one. It's gonna be a challenge, and yeah we get this far in the playoffs, they're all gonna be tough.'
More to follow...
