THE fugitive high school football coach charged with nearly a dozen child sex crimes could potentially be in another state despite an ongoing extensive manhunt in his rural hometown, a private investigator said.
Travis Turner, the famed head coach of the Union High School Bears football team in northwest Virginia, left his home in Appalachia on November 20 with a firearm and vanished into the densely wooded and mountainous area.
Travis Turner, the head coach of the Union High School football team, is wanted by police in connection with several child sex crimesCredit: Instagram
US Marshals and Virginia State Police are searching for Turner, who was last seen leaving his home with a firearm and walking into the dense Appalachia woodsCredit: WJHL-TV
Turner is a famed coach in Wise CountyCredit: Facebook
The same day of his disappearance, Virginia State Police were sent out to Turner’s home as part of an early investigation into child sex crime allegations against the football coach.
Authorities have since issued 10 warrants for Turner’s arrest on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor.
Turner, a 46-year-old married father of three, has not been seen or heard from since November 20.
Patrick McCall, a 15-year private investigator specializing in criminal cases and fugitives, suspects Turner is no longer in Virginia and is laying low somewhere with help from friends or family.
McCall, who is not involved in the search for the fugitive coach, said Turner got a significant window to escape after not being reported as a missing person for 24 hours.
“They described him entering there [Appalachian trail], and his wife doesn’t report him missing until later that night,” McCall, the owner of McCall Risk Group, a security and investigation firm based on Long Island in New York, said.
“She’s told by the local police that at that time there’s no warrants or anything issued for him, police just wanted to speak with him.
“But he’s not reported a missing person for 24 hours, that gave this gentleman quite enough time to basically vacate the area.”
Turner’s wife, Leslie, first called law enforcement on the evening of November 20 after her husband did not return home from his walk in the Appalachian woods.
However, authorities advised Leslie that because 24 hours had not passed, she could not file a missing person report.
The following day, Leslie filed a missing person report with the Virginia State Police.
On November 24, investigators revealed they’ve obtained 10 arrest warrants for Turner’s arrest.
McCall underscored the clothing Turner was last seen wearing as a potential indication that he received assistance with his escape.
“He didn’t leave with a scouting pack. He didn’t leave with any sort of camping gear,” he said.
“He was in condition to basically go into the woods … He got out of the state,” the private investigator speculated.
Turner’s wife, Leslie, is urging her husband to face the allegationsCredit: Facebook
US Marshals have deployed search-and-rescue teams, drones, and K9 units in their search for TurnerCredit: Virginia State Police
‘SUSPICIOUS CALL’
Virginia State Police did not respond to a request for comment from The U.S. Sun.
McCall also questions the day Turner was reportedly seen walking into the woods and disappearing.
“I think that time period of when he supposedly left on that Thursday afternoon until he was reported missing, a phone call was generated to the police, I think it’s very suspicious in nature,” he claimed.
“I don’t think this is a case where he would commit suicide or hurt himself.
“I think the whole painting of the story that he left with a firearm and went into the woods and kind of disappeared, I think that was part of the story.
“People wanted to think that he felt bad about what he did. He knew that he was coming with the police in this investigation. They’ve since secured 10 or plus warrants for him.
“I think that he wanted to paint the picture that he went into the woods and harmed himself, or became a victim of wildlife, or some sort of fall. But I don’t think that’s the case,” McCall speculated.
‘BEST FUGITIVE HUNTERS’
Adrian Collins, the attorney for Turner’s family, denied the online speculation that the coach’s wife or relatives assisted him in his escape.
“Criminal charges were not obtained against Travis until days after he failed to return home,” the attorney said in a statement.
“He was not a fugitive nor wanted by law enforcement at the time he went missing. His wife was not helping him escape, she was asking for help for him.”
The family also urged Turner to face the allegations in court.
“While the family’s last contact with Travis causes them to have great concern for his well-being, they cling to the hope he will be found and afforded the opportunity to defend himself in a court of law,” the statement continued.
McCall believes it’s only a matter of time before the US Marshals apprehend Travis, calling the federal law enforcement officials “the best fugitive hunters.”
“This generated a lot of media, and I think that’s a key point of why they got involved,” McCall said of the US Marshals’ involvement in the search.
“There was a lot of media put on this, small town, less than 2,000 people, high school football coach, well-liked in the community, being accused of these egregious crimes.
“I think that was kind of a selling point to get the Marshals involved. And the Marshals are the best fugitive hunters out there, the best armed and law enforcement to find a guy, especially in a case like this.”
SOURCE: https://www.the-sun.com/news/15592677/clues-missing-coach-travis-turner-fled-virginia-expert/?utm_source=chatgpt.com