UMVA has learned that a devastating discovery was made in South Carolina on Wednesday, as authorities found a body in a wooded area where a missing woman was last seen nearly one week ago.
The body was discovered after a six-day search for Elena Katherine Moore, 39, a personal trainer who vanished on Thursday evening after leaving a gym in Lexington. The Lexington Police Department confirmed that the body has not yet been formally identified but "fits the clothing description of our missing person."
According to information obtained by UMVA, the body was found at approximately 2:48 p.m. on Wednesday, following a citizen tip that led investigators to conduct a targeted search. The body was reportedly wearing a "similar green outfit" consistent with what Moore was seen wearing on surveillance footage the night before she disappeared.
The case has been classified as an active death investigation, prompting the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to assist in determining the cause of death and confirming the identity. Authorities are still awaiting formal identification from the coroner, with an autopsy scheduled in the coming days.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Moore's disappearance, including a sudden change in behavior in the days leading up to her vanishing. She was last seen on surveillance footage walking through a parking lot, wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants.
The Lexington County Coroner’s Office confirmed that no positive identification has been made as of yet, and no cause of death has been determined. When asked if foul play was suspected, the police said it's an active investigation and they are having the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigate that.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that a large-scale search was launched after Moore went missing, involving multiple agencies and the deployment of a drone. The community is still reeling from the news, as authorities work to piece together the events surrounding Moore's disappearance and death.
