South Carolina Coroner Releases Preliminary Autopsy Results for 39-Year-Old Elena Moore

LEXINGTON, S.C. (BFMG) — The Lexington County Coroner has released the cause of death for a 39-year-old woman who was reported missing and later found dead in a wooded area off Old Cherokee Road, authorities said.

An autopsy was conducted Saturday at the Medical University of South Carolina after the coroner’s office positively identified the remains as those of Elena Katherine Moore, according to a statement posted on the office’s official social media account.

Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green announced developments in the case during an afternoon news conference Wednesday. Green said the Lexington Police Department received a community tip that Moore had been seen in the area of North Lake Drive and Old Cherokee Road on June 11.

Based on that information, officers and fire personnel began an extensive search of the wooded areas off Old Cherokee Road around 1:30 p.m. Monday.

At approximately 2:48 p.m., searchers located an unidentified body in the area, Green said. The clothing on the body matched what Moore was last reported to be wearing. Lexington police requested that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division take the lead on the death investigation.

In a statement, the department thanked multiple agencies for their assistance and resources, including the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Fire Services, Lexington County Emergency Medical Services, Lexington County Communications, South Carolina Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, SLED and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office.

Green also publicly thanked local media outlets for “consistently and aggressively” sharing information about Moore’s disappearance, saying the coverage generated hundreds of tips and leads that helped move the investigation forward.