The body found earlier this week in Lexington County, South Carolina, has been confirmed as that of missing fitness trainer Elena Katherine Moore. Authorities made the announcement on Friday.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office stated that Moore’s body was discovered near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive on June 17. Moore, aged 39, went missing after leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington on June 11.
Interestingly, the autopsy is not being handled by the Lexington County Coroner’s Office. Instead, her body has been transported to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where a forensic autopsy will be conducted on Saturday.
Further details about Moore’s cause and manner of death are expected to be released on Monday, June 22, according to the coroner’s office.
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Elena Katherine Moore disappeared after leaving a gym on June 11, as reported by the Lexington Police Department.
Authorities have noted that determining the final cause and manner of death is a complex process and may require several days or weeks. Until then, officials will not release more information about the investigation.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is leading the case, and all questions have been directed to them.
The body identification occurred two days after a tip led investigators to a wooded area near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive.
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At the time of the discovery, Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green mentioned that the clothing on the body matched what Moore was last seen wearing. Surveillance footage had recorded her in a similar green outfit before her disappearance.
Moore’s disappearance garnered significant attention as friends noted her unusual behavior in the weeks before she vanished.
In an interview, Moore’s friend, Sondra Campbell, disclosed that Moore had expressed fear for her life during their last meeting on May 31. Campbell recalled that Moore explicitly stated she was scared, yet they never had the opportunity to speak further about the issue.
Moore had been seen last walking through a parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road after leaving the gym. Friends also noted her atypical silence on social media in the month leading up to her disappearance.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office expressed their condolences to Moore’s family and urged anyone with helpful information to contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.