The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which handles significant criminal cases in the state, has joined a probe following the grim discovery of a body in a forested region. This area is notably where a missing woman was last observed almost a week prior.
Authorities unearthed the body after an extensive six-day search for Elena Katherine Moore, a 39-year-old personal trainer. Moore was reported missing since Thursday evening after departing from a Planet Fitness gym located in Lexington.
The Lexington Police Department (LPD) announced that the body has yet to be officially identified, however, the clothing matches that of the missing individual in question.
With the case now elevated to an active death investigation, SLED’s involvement aims to ascertain the cause of death and verify the person’s identity.
Elena Katherine Moore, last witnessed leaving the gym and heading towards a nearby wooded area in Lexington, South Carolina, has been the focal point of this ongoing investigation, as stated by the authorities.
According to LPD Chief Terrence Green, authorities located the body Wednesday after receiving a citizen tip that led investigators to conduct a targeted search.
“At approximately 2:48 p.m. we found an unidentified body that fits the clothing description of our missing person. We are still waiting on the coroner to identify her.”
The body was reportedly wearing a “similar green outfit” consistent with what Moore was seen wearing on surveillance footage the night before she disappeared.
Officials said they are still awaiting formal identification from the coroner.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy will be scheduled in the coming days and that the process is expected to take some time.
Elena Katherine Moore signed in at the Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way around 6:40 p.m. Thursday and was later seen walking away from the facility toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store, authorities said. (Lexington Police Department)
“In reference to the body found in Lexington in the area of Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive. Coroner Margaret Fisher can confirm the body of a female matching the clothing description of the missing person, Elena K. Moore has been found,” the office said in a statement.
“No positive identification has been made as of this time. We will await positive identification before any further information is released. No cause of death has been determined”
When asked if foul play was suspected, the police said, “Again, it’s an active investigation and we are having SLED investigate that.”
Elena Moore disappeared in Lexington, S.C., on June 11, 2026. (Lexington Police Department)
Moore was first reported missing last Friday, prompting a large-scale search that included multiple agencies and the deployment of a drone.
She was last seen Thursday night in surveillance footage walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road.
In the video, she is seen wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants, the same outfit she was reportedly wearing when she left Planet Fitness.
Authorities said that in the days leading up to her disappearance, Moore exhibited behavior that was out of character, including a sudden absence and an abrupt change in social media presence, according to ABC News.
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