Body found in South Carolina is missing trainer Elena Moore, authorities say

Authorities in South Carolina have confirmed that a body found in Lexington County is that of Elena Moore, the 39-year-old fitness trainer who disappeared after leaving Planet Fitness in Lexington. The discovery closed a weeklong search that moved from a missing-person report to a homicide investigation handled by state authorities.

Moore was last seen on Thursday, June 11, and was reported missing the next day, June 12. Police later said surveillance video placed her walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road at about 9:15 p.m. on June 11. In the footage, she was wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants.

Lexington police found a body on Wednesday, June 17, in a wooded area off Old Cherokee Road after receiving a tip. Investigators said the clothing on the body matched what Moore was last seen wearing, which allowed them to make an initial identification before the Lexington County Coroner’s Office confirmed the remains on Friday, June 19. The coroner’s office said an autopsy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20, at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Officials said the cause and manner of death may not be determined for several days or weeks, leaving the central question in the case unresolved. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is now leading the death investigation at the request of local police. Lexington officers had previously offered a $1,500 reward for information about Moore’s whereabouts.

The case has reverberated through the Lexington community, where Moore was known as a fitness trainer and a visible presence. Friends and acquaintances described her as energetic and well-liked, and community members left flowers near Old Cherokee Road after the body was found. Police have said Brandon Slice, Moore’s husband, is not a suspect.

Investigators also searched other areas before the tip led them to the wooded land off Old Cherokee Road. A Monday search behind Planet Fitness and Lowe’s did not turn up any trace of Moore, underscoring how quickly the case moved from scattered sightings and a broad search to a confirmed identification and a state-run death investigation.