ABC News June 16, 2026

Personal trainer goes missing after leaving gym, search underway: Police

WATCH: South Carolina police search for missing woman in Lexington

A search is underway for a personal trainer in South Carolina who went missing after leaving a gym last week, authorities said.

Elena Katherine Moore, 39, has not been heard from since leaving a Planet Fitness in Lexington on Thursday, according to police. She was reported missing the following day, according to the Lexington Police Department.

Moore is a personal trainer at Wolf's Fitness Center in Lexington, according to Lexington Police Department Inspector Missy Silcox.

She regularly visited the Planet Fitness at 560 Whiteford Way, where she signed in on Thursday at 6:40 p.m., police said. No further contact has been reported since then, police said.

"This is very out of character for her," Silcox told ABC News on Monday.

Moore was captured on surveillance footage walking away from the Planet Fitness toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe's Home Improvement store, police said.

In newly obtained footage, she was last seen walking in the parking lot of a nearby Publix, headed in the direction of Old Cherokee Road, at 9:17 p.m. Thursday wearing the same clothing as reported from Planet Fitness, police said in an update Tuesday.

Police used drones to search the woods near the Lowe's to no avail on Friday, and no sign of Moore was found after officers went back to canvas the area on Monday, police said. 

Police described Moore as 5'7" and approximately 120 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing an olive-green zip-up hoodie with black athletic pants. It is unknown if she has her cellphone, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 803-358-7271 or email asantoro@lexsc.gov.

"We're just hoping tips come in," Silcox said. "Even the smallest tip could be the biggest thing for us to crack open this case."