Authorities confirmed Friday that human remains discovered earlier this week in Lexington County, South Carolina, have been identified as missing fitness trainer Elena Katherine Moore.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office said Moore, 39, was found on June 17 in the area of Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive. She had not been seen since June 11, after leaving a Planet Fitness location in Lexington.
Officials said Moore’s autopsy will not be conducted locally. Her body is being taken to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where a forensic examination is expected to be performed Saturday.
The coroner’s office said it expects to provide additional information about Moore’s cause and manner of death on Monday, June 22.
According to the Lexington Police Department, Moore was reported missing after she left the Lexington Planet Fitness on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
Investigators noted that determining both the cause and manner of death can be a careful, time-consuming process that may take several days or longer. Authorities said no further details are expected to be released until that review is complete.
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 Agency, 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 Agency.
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.
