South Carolina personal trainer goes missing, last spotted walking toward wooded area

A South Carolina woman has been missing since last week after she was reportedly seen leaving a Planet Fitness gym and heading toward a nearby wooded area, according to authorities.

Elena Katherine Moore, 39, was last seen Thursday evening in Lexington, a suburb just west of Columbia, the Lexington Police Department said.

Police said Moore checked in at the Planet Fitness at about 6:40 p.m. and was later observed walking away from the gym toward woods located behind a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store. She was reported missing the next day.

Moore, who works as a personal trainer, disappeared under circumstances investigators described to ABC News as highly unusual and out of character.

Authorities said Moore signed in at the Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way around 6:40 p.m. Thursday before later being seen heading toward the wooded area behind the Lowe’s store, according to the Lexington Police Department.

Investigators used a drone on Friday and carried out an initial search of the area where Moore was last seen, but no trace of her was found.

On Monday, Lexington police joined multiple local and state agencies in a more extensive search of wooded areas behind the Lowe’s store and Planet Fitness. The operation included assistance from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Department of Natural Resources and other emergency response agencies.

Elena Katherine Moore, 39, has been missing since she left a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington, South Carolina, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, according to the Lexington Police Department. (Lexington Police Department)

Police emphasized that the search was not a recovery effort but a methodical attempt to eliminate one possible location where Moore could be.

“No trace of Ms. Moore was found during the operation,” Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green said in an update.

Missing person flyer for Elena Moore

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)

Moore is described as a White female standing 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants. Investigators said they are uncertain whether she has her cellphone.

Authorities asked anyone with information about Moore’s whereabouts to contact detectives at 803-358-7271 or Midlands Crimestoppers.

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