Searchers discovered a body on June 17 during the search for missing South Carolina personal trainer Elena Katherine Moore, according to the Lexington Police Department. As of June 18, authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the body is Moore’s, though police said the deceased person matched her description and wore clothing consistent with what Moore wore when she disappeared. The Lexington County Coroner’s Office is working to make a formal identification.
Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green detailed the discovery during a June 17 news conference. According to police, investigators located the body in a wooded area near Old Cherokee Road after receiving a tip that expanded the search zone earlier that day, as first reported by local news outlet The State.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has taken the lead on the matter, which is now being treated as an active death investigation. Authorities have not released a cause of death, and officials have not announced any evidence of foul play.
New clue expands search area
The search area expanded on June 17 after someone reported seeing Moore walking toward the woods near Lakeside Middle School, which sits along Old Cherokee Road. Investigators shifted resources to that location and began searching the wooded area. Later that day, authorities located the body.
Moore, 39, disappeared after leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington on June 11. According to the Lexington Police Department, she signed into the gym at approximately 6:40 p.m. She worked as a personal trainer at Wolf’s Fitness Center in Lexington and regularly visited the facility.
After leaving Planet Fitness, additional video showed Moore walking through a nearby shopping center parking lot at 9:17 p.m. while wearing an olive-green hoodie and black athletic pants. Police said they had no confirmed contact with her after that point.
Police previously noted that she did not have a vehicle in her possession when she vanished, and it remains unclear if she was carrying a cell phone. Moore’s husband located her vehicle in a Lowe’s parking lot near Planet Fitness on June 12.
Investigators described Moore’s disappearance as unusual. Lexington Police Inspector Missy Silcox told ABC News that the situation was “very out of character” for Moore.
Police launched an extensive search effort that included drone operations and ground searches of wooded areas near the gym. Officers searched the woods shortly after Moore vanished and returned to canvass the area again in the days that followed. Authorities also asked the public for tips as they attempted to trace her movements.
On June 17, Chief Green credited public assistance and media coverage with helping investigators develop leads in the case. Authorities continue to ask anyone with information about Moore’s disappearance to contact the Lexington Police Department. Officials have not announced when the coroner expects to complete the identification process.
Published: Jun 18, 2026 11:11 am