Police announced Wednesday afternoon that a body had been recovered in Lexington, S.C., wearing clothing consistent with that of Elena Katherine Moore, a 39-year-old personal trainer who had not been seen since departing a local gym earlier this month.
At a news conference, Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green said a tip phoned in around 1 p.m. Wednesday prompted the deployment of law enforcement and fire crews to the vicinity of Old Cherokee Road and Northlake Drive, where the body was recovered just before 3 p.m. The caller had reported observing Moore in that area on June 11, Green said, according to NBC News.
The death investigation has been turned over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at the request of Lexington police. When asked whether foul play was a factor, Green offered no answer, telling reporters the matter remains under active investigation, according to NBC News.
In a social media post Wednesday, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said neither the body's identity nor cause of death had been established, and noted that an autopsy was forthcoming, according to NBC News.
Security cameras captured Moore's last known movements on June 11: she checked into the Planet Fitness at 560 Whiteford Way at 6:40 p.m., and footage from a neighboring Publix showed her at 9:17 p.m. moving in the direction of Old Cherokee Road, dressed in an olive-green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants, according to ABC News. A missing persons report was filed the next day.
News coverage of Moore's disappearance deserved credit for producing the tip that ultimately guided searchers to the body, Green said, according to NBC News.
More on this story: Search continues for missing Lexington personal trainer last seen at gym