Body found matches description of missing woman, says Lexington Police Department
LEXINGTON, SC (WOLO) — A body matching the description of missing 39-year-old Elena Katherine Moore was found Wednesday afternoon, according to the Lexington Police Department.
The Lexington County Coroner has yet to identify the body, or perform an autopsy to determine cause of death.
Chief Terrence Green updated the Town of Lexington community on new developments related to the case of a missing woman during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The Lexington Police Department received a tip from the community that Elena Katherine Moore had been seen in the area of North Lake Drive and Old Cherokee Road on June 11th.
LPD says officers and fire personnel began an extensive search of the wooded areas on Old Cherokee Road at 1:30 p.m.
At approximately 2:48 p.m., officers with LPD found an unidentified body in the area. The clothing description matched that of Moore. LPD has requested the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to proceed with this death investigation.
The following agencies assisted in the incident: Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Fire Services, Lexington County Emergency Medical Services, Lexington County Communications, SC Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, SC Department of Natural Resources, SC Highway Patrol, SC Law Enforcement Division, and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office for their resources and assistance.
On Monday, LPD reported that Moore was last seen walking away from Planet Fitness, at 560 Whiteford Way, toward a wooded area behind Lowe’s Home Improvement Store. She was wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie with black athletic pants. Officers say they deployed and circulate a drone in that region with negative results, along with a preliminary check of the woods.
That same day, numerous officers from the Lexington Police Department performed a detailed search of the wooded areas along Caughman Farm Lane, behind the Lowe’s Home Improvement store and Planet Fitness gym. They say this was not a recovery operation, but an effort to rule out one less place Moore could be.
Photos of Moore were also recorded on a ring doorbell camera a a week prior to Elena being reported as a missing
person:
According to LPD, recently obtained camera footage shows Ms. Moore walking through the Publix parking lot, at 100 Old Cherokee Road, on Thursday, June 11th.The camera footage captures her walking in the direction of Old Cherokee Road at 9:17 p.m. She was wearing the same olive-green zip-up hoodie with black athletic pants as reported from Planet Fitness.
SLED has confirmed any additional information will come from the coroner’s office.
