The death of South Carolina personal trainer Elena Moore remains shrouded in mystery after a preliminary autopsy failed to determine how she died. The 39-year-old was found dead in a wooded area near Lexington on June 17, nearly a week after she vanished following a visit to Planet Fitness.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher announced Monday that an examination of Moore’s body found no evidence of traumatic injury. “Examination of the body revealed no evidence of traumatic injury, including no bruising, lacerations, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, blunt force trauma, strangulation, or other external injuries,” the coroner’s office said. The cause of death remains pending while investigators await toxicology screening, histological studies, and a review of medical records.
Moore was last seen on June 11 at approximately 9:17 p.m. leaving the Planet Fitness on Whiteford Way in Lexington. Surveillance footage captured her walking toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe’s Home Improvement store. Her husband reported her missing the following day, triggering an extensive search.
Days later, authorities discovered a body wearing clothing matching what Moore had on when she vanished. On June 19, the coroner’s office officially identified the remains as Moore. Police Chief Terrence Green credited media coverage of the missing persons case for generating the tip that led investigators to her body.
Adding to the mystery are reports that Moore had been acting strangely before she disappeared. A close friend, Sondra Campbell, previously told Fox News Digital that Moore confided she was “scared for her life” during a brunch outing weeks prior. Another friend noted that Moore, who was typically active on social media, had gone unusually quiet in the weeks before her disappearance.
A week before she vanished, Ring camera footage captured a bizarre interaction at a Lexington apartment where Moore appeared disoriented, trying to enter a stranger’s home after picking up a DoorDash delivery meant for someone else. Neighbors described her as confused, with one telling NBC affiliate WIS, “If she was confused, like a week before she went missing, was she in that same kind of confusion state that night?”.
Fisher stated that “additional evaluation is required” and that the process of determining a final cause and manner of death “may take several days or weeks to complete”. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is continuing to investigate the case. For now, investigators have more questions than answers, and a community still searching for closure.
