An intensive search for a missing Virginia high school football coach now wanted on child exploitation charges has sparked concern from the family of a woman whose murder in the same county remains unsolved nearly a decade later.
Travis Turner, a head football coach at Union High School, disappeared from his rural home in Wise County, Virginia, on Nov. 20—just moments before Virginia State Police arrived to question him about allegations involving inappropriate crimes against children. Authorities later charged Turner with five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor, declaring him a wanted fugitive days after his disappearance.
Investigators say Turner left behind several key personal items and vanished with a firearm. Since then, law enforcement agencies have launched a large-scale search of the wooded and river-filled terrain near his home, using drones, K-9 units, and a helicopter. Turner was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants, and glasses. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest, working alongside Virginia State Police and the FBI.
While the search continues, Turner’s case has reopened wounds for the family of Janina Jefferson, who was shot and killed in November 2016 in the parking lot of the Appalachia Water Treatment Plant as she arrived for her evening shift. Her alleged killer, ex-husband Eric Jones, has never been captured.
Jones was last seen on gas station surveillance footage the day of the murder, purchasing beer before driving away in Jefferson’s stolen truck. Despite years of investigation by the Wise County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals, he remains at large.
Jefferson’s niece, Brooke, told The U.S. Sun that the intense attention surrounding Turner’s disappearance has left her family feeling overlooked.
“It has been almost 10 years,” she said. “When it first happened, it got a lot of attention, but then it just kind of faded away. When the Travis Turner case came up, it exploded within days. Seeing all those resources being used made us feel like my aunt’s case could really benefit from that kind of focus, especially since Eric is still out there.”
Wise County Sheriff Grant Kilgore has pushed back on those concerns, stating that Jefferson’s murder remains a “high priority” for his office, though he acknowledged the urgency of the Turner investigation due to its recent developments.
As authorities continue searching for Turner, Jefferson’s family hopes the renewed spotlight on Wise County investigations will also bring fresh momentum—and answers—to a case that has haunted them for nearly a decade.
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