Police said the body matched the clothing description of Elena Katherine Moore, but formal identification was still pending.
LEXINGTON, S.C. — Police found a body Wednesday during the search for Elena Katherine Moore, a 39-year-old personal trainer who vanished after leaving a Lexington gym last week, authorities said.
The discovery marked a major turn in a missing person case that drew a large police response, public tips and growing attention across the Midlands. Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green said the body matched the clothing description of Moore, but the Lexington County Coroner’s Office had not yet confirmed the person’s identity.
Moore was reported missing Friday, June 12, after she was last seen the night before at Planet Fitness, 560 Whiteford Way. Police said she signed in at the gym at about 6:40 p.m. Thursday, June 11. Surveillance later showed her walking away from the gym at about 9:17 p.m. toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store. She was wearing an olive green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants. Green had asked for public help earlier in the case, saying investigators were trying to bring Moore home safely.
Police said search crews first checked woods, trails and farmland near the gym. Officers used a drone in the area and later returned for a more detailed search along Caughman Farm Lane, behind the Lowe’s and Planet Fitness. The department said that search was not a recovery operation, but an effort to rule out one possible place where Moore could be. No trace of her was found there. The search involved Lexington police, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Fire Services, Lexington County Emergency Medical Services, Lexington County Communications, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Department of Natural Resources.
Investigators later released new photos of Moore, including images captured by a front door camera about a week before she was reported missing. Police said the images were shared to help people recognize her and remember any possible contact with her in the days after June 11. Other reports described video in which Moore appeared confused at an apartment complex before her disappearance. Authorities have not said whether that footage is tied to her disappearance. Police also said it was unknown whether Moore had her cellphone with her, and the phone had not led investigators to her location.
Moore worked as a personal trainer at Wolf’s Fitness Center and also as a pharmacy technician. Police described her as a white woman, 5 feet, 7 inches tall and about 120 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Investigators said she did not have a known vehicle with her when she disappeared. Earlier reports that Moore had been found were false, police said, and the department later apologized for confusion caused by those reports. Her disappearance was described by family and friends as unusual, including because she regularly used social media and had not been heard from in a way they expected.
Police also addressed public speculation about Moore’s husband, Brannon Slice, who reported her missing. Lexington Police Inspector Missy Silcox said Slice was not considered a person of interest at that point in the investigation. Authorities said there was no indication of foul play, but they did not close the case or explain what may have happened to Moore. The discovery of the body added a new procedural step: the coroner must identify the person and determine the next findings that can be released. Police said the case remained active while they waited for that work.
The body was found Wednesday afternoon near the North Lake Road and Old Cherokee Road area, after a tip helped move investigators to another location. Green said the body was wearing clothing that matched what Moore had on when she was last seen. The area is near the route police had been studying since the case began, including commercial parking lots, wooded land and nearby roads. The department credited public attention and tips with helping investigators, while also cautioning that identity had not been confirmed.
The case now rests on the coroner’s formal identification and the next police update. As of Thursday, June 18, authorities had not announced a confirmed cause or manner of death, and the investigation remained open.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, June 18, 2026.