South Carolina personal trainer left Planet Fitness, then walked toward a wooded area. She has been missing since then

The search is on in Lexington, South Carolina, after Elena Katherine Moore left a Planet Fitness location on June 11. She then walked toward a wooded area and hasn’t been seen since. Investigators said Moore, 39, regularly visited the Planet Fitness at 560 Whiteford Way. According to police, she signed into the gym around 6:40 p.m. on June 11, 2026. No one has reported contact with Moore since that evening.

Surveillance footage released by police shows Moore, 39, leaving the gym. She then walked toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store. Additional footage released later showed her walking through the parking lot of a nearby Publix supermarket at about 9:17 p.m. Police said Moore headed toward Old Cherokee Road while wearing the same clothing she had on earlier that evening.

According to the Lexington Police Department, Moore’s husband reported her missing on June 12. Police and local outlets revealed that investigators found Moore’s vehicle abandoned in the nearby Lowe’s parking lot that same day.

Disappearance “out of character,” authorities unclear if she has her phone

Moore works as a personal trainer at Wolf’s Fitness Center in Lexington. Authorities have also identified her as a pharmacy technician. Lexington Police Inspector Missy Silcox told ABC News that Moore’s disappearance is “very out of character” for her.

Those close to Moore have described her disappearance as unusual. Friend Lauren Beasley told Fox News that she last spoke with Moore about a month before she vanished. She said she noticed nothing unusual during their conversation. Beasley also said Moore had stopped posting on social media in recent weeks. She described this as out of character because Moore had previously been active online.

In the days after her disappearance, false social media posts claimed that searchers found Moore safe, prompting Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green to issue an official clarification confirming that she remains missing, according to local news outlet WLTX.

Police have also said they believe Moore had a cellphone with her at some point, but investigators have faced delays obtaining information from carriers necessary to track it. As of June 17, authorities have not announced any evidence of foul play and have said they do not believe Moore is in imminent danger.

The Lexington Police Department deployed drones shortly after Moore disappeared, but those efforts did not locate her. On June 15, officers from multiple local and state agencies conducted a more detailed search of wooded areas along Caughman Farm Lane behind Lowe’s and Planet Fitness.

In an official update, Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green emphasized that the operation was not a recovery effort. Instead, he said officers aimed to eliminate one possible location where Moore could be. Authorities reported that the search found no trace of her.

Moore is described as a white woman standing 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing approximately 120 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing an olive green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants. Anyone with information about her whereabouts should contact Detective Santoro with the Lexington Police Department at 803-358-7271 or email [email protected]. Tips may also be submitted to Midlands Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.