Photo: Lexington Police Department
The autopsy for Elena Katherine Moore, a 39-year-old fitness trainer from Lexington, South Carolina, has not revealed the cause of her mysterious death, leaving investigators and her loved ones with more questions than answers. According to the Lexington County Coroner’s Office, the examination found no signs of physical trauma. There were no bruises, cuts, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, blunt-force injuries, strangulation, or other external marks on Moore’s body.
Moore was last seen on June 11 after visiting a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington and was reported missing by her husband the following day. Surveillance footage showed her walking away from the gym toward a wooded area behind a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, according to Lexington police.
Her disappearance quickly drew public attention after a close friend told Fox News that Moore had confided she was "scared for her life" weeks before she vanished. Another friend described her as unusually quiet on social media prior to her disappearance, and a neighbor’s doorbell camera reportedly captured Moore behaving oddly about a week before she went missing.
Moore’s body was discovered on June 17 near Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive, wearing the same clothes she had on when last seen. The preliminary autopsy, conducted Saturday, found no evidence to suggest a violent death. Investigators are now waiting on toxicology results, microscopic tissue tests, and a review of Moore’s medical records to help determine what happened.
Authorities have not said whether they suspect foul play, and no manner of death has been established. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is continuing to investigate. The coroner’s office says a final determination may take days or weeks as additional testing is completed.