It was a huge evening for the football group at Union High School on Virginia’s northwest edge: They were set to play a pivotal sport after going undefeated all season.
The Union High School Bears soared to another victory, their twelfth for the reason that season started in August, as they superior to the regional finals, two video games away from a potential state championship.
But the coach who had guided them all through the season wasn’t there to cheer them on. He had disappeared earlier that week — and is now the topic of a missing individuals investigation.
Travis Turner, listed as a bodily training instructor and the pinnacle football coach at Union High School, has been missing since Thursday, in accordance to Virginia State Police. They say the 46-year-old was final seen carrying a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses.
Authorities didn’t share when or the place Turner was final seen. But the thriller begins earlier than his disappearance: Virginia State Police particular brokers were despatched to his house in Appalachia, a city of lower than 2,000 individuals, Thursday night, officers advised NCS.
Police say the brokers were despatched as a part of “the early stages of an investigation,” however that they didn’t go to arrest the football coach. It’s unclear what the investigation is about.
“While in transit, the agents were informed that Turner was no longer at the location,” the company stated.
An official seek for Turner continued all through the weekend, with search and rescue groups, drones and Ok-9 models dispatched as a part of the hassle. The investigation is ongoing and Turner nonetheless hasn’t been found, Virginia State Police advised NCS in a Monday night assertion.
Wise County Public Schools, which incorporates Union, responded to NCS’s questions on Turner with a assertion saying that, “A staff member has been placed on administrative leave with pay while an external agency reviews an allegation that was reported to the division. This is standard procedure and is not a determination of wrongdoing. This situation also involves an active law-enforcement matter, and the division cannot comment further.”
Before Saturday’s sport, a pastor led a community prayer. Pastor Bryan Gunter stated, “We can count on our community to be bigger than the situation we’re facing,” in an interview with WCYB.
One pupil athlete stated he had inspired his teammates to persevere previous the week’s challenges.
“We talked in the huddle and we said, listen boys, we’re going to have to handle adversity here,” senior operating again Keith Chandler stated after the sport, in accordance to WCYB. “We stick together as brothers here and we should come out with the victory.”