The remains found in Lexington County, South Carolina, earlier this week have been confirmed as those of Elena Katherine Moore, a fitness trainer who had been missing, officials reported on Friday.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Moore, 39, after her body was discovered near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive on June 17. She had been missing since June 11, following her departure from a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington.
In an unusual move, the autopsy will not be handled locally by the Lexington County Coroner’s Office. Instead, Moore’s remains are being sent to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston for a forensic examination scheduled for Saturday.
The coroner’s office anticipates releasing further details about Moore’s cause and manner of death on Monday, June 22.
Elena Katherine Moore, aged 39, was last seen after leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington, South Carolina, on June 11, 2026, as confirmed by the Lexington Police Department.
Officials cautioned that determining a final cause and manner of death is a thorough process that could take several days or weeks to complete. Until then, authorities said no further information regarding the investigation will be released.
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The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is leading the investigation, and all inquiries regarding the case have been directed to the agency.
The identification comes two days after authorities discovered a body in a wooded area near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive following a tip that led investigators to a new search location.
The Lexington Police Department was searching for Elena Moore in Lexington, South Carolina. (Lexington Police Department)
At the time, Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green said the body matched the clothing description of Moore, who was last seen after leaving a Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way on the evening of June 11.
“The body found was wearing a similar green outfit” to the clothing Moore was seen wearing in surveillance footage before her disappearance, Green said.
Moore’s disappearance drew widespread attention after friends described her behavior in the weeks leading up to her disappearance as unusual.
SCENE PHOTOS: Where Elena’s body was found
In an interview with News Media, close friend Sondra Campbell said Moore told her she was “scared for her life” during their last in-person meeting on May 31.
“She was scared for her life. She actually said those words to me,” Campbell told News Media.
Moore is described as a white female standing 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. (Lexington Police Department)
Campbell said Moore indicated she wanted to discuss the matter privately but never had the chance.
Moore was last seen walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road after leaving Planet Fitness. Friends also said she had been unusually inactive on social media for about a month before she vanished.
VIDEO: Scene of where Elena’s body was found
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office extended condolences to Moore’s family and encouraged anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact SLED directly.
