A body found in South Carolina has been identified as missing coach Elena Moore
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A body found earlier this week in Lexington County, South Carolina, has been identified as missing fitness instructor Elena Katherine Moore, authorities announced Friday.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office said the body of a white woman found near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive on June 17 has been identified as Moore, 39, who disappeared after leaving the Planet Fitness gym in Lexington on June 11.
Notably, an autopsy will not be performed by the Lexington County Coroner’s Office. Instead, Moore’s body is being transported to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, where an autopsy will be conducted on Saturday.
More details about the cause and manner of Moore’s death are expected to be released Monday, June 22, according to the coroner’s office.
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Elena Katherine Moore, 39, disappeared after leaving the Planet Fitness gym in Lexington, South Carolina, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, according to the Lexington Police Department. (Lexington Police Department)
Officials cautioned that determining the final cause and manner of death is an exhaustive process that could take days or weeks to complete. Until then, authorities said no further details about the investigation will be released.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is leading the investigation, and all questions about the case have been directed to the agency.
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The identification comes two days after authorities found a body in a wooded area near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive following a tip that led investigators to a new search area.
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The Lexington Police Department is looking 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 Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way on the night of June 11.
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“The body that was found was wearing the same green clothing” as the clothing Moore was seen wearing in surveillance photos before her disappearance, Green said.
Moore’s disappearance drew widespread attention after friends described his behavior as unusual in the weeks leading up to his disappearance.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, close friend Sondra Campbell said Moore told her she “feared for her life” at their last in-person meeting on May 31.
“He was in fear for his life. He actually said those words to me,” Campbell told Fox News Digital.
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Moore is described as a white female standing 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. (Lexington Police Department)
Campbell said Moore indicated he wanted to discuss the matter privately but never had the opportunity.
Moore was last seen walking in the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road after leaving Planet Fitness. Friends also said he had been unusually active on social media for about a month before he disappeared.
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The Lexington County Coroner’s office offered its condolences to Moore’s family and encouraged anyone with information related to the investigation to contact SLED directly.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes and Bonny Chu contributed to this report.
