South Carolina personal trainer Elena Moore had an ‘irregular heartbeat’ since age 14, coroner reveals while announing cause of death

South Carolina personal trainer Elena Moore, whose body was found nearly four months ago in a wooded area, almost a week after she disappeared, died of natural causes linked to heart conditions, the Lexington County coroner announced Friday, October 9.

“First I want to start by saying, on behalf of the Lexington County Coroner’s Office, to the family of Elena Moore, our deepest condolences,” Coroner Margaret Fisher said during a press conference. “This has been a tough case for us. I know it’s been pretty much hell on them.”

Before sharing the autopsy details, she stressed that it was “a very tragic and complicated case.”


Moore, who was a 39-year-old personal trainer at Wolf’s Fitness Center, was last seen leaving in Lexington on June 11 before she vanished. Then an extensive search began, and her body was found nearly a week later, on June 17.

Elena Moore’s cause of death

Fisher announced that Elena Moore’s cause of death was “complications of cardiac dysrhythmia with premature ventricular contractions” and “her manner of death was natural.” The extensive investigation into Moore’s death looked at her past and medical complications.

South Carolina personal trainer Elena Moore's past health issues

As per Fisher’s announcement, she grew up in a Russian orphanage before being adopted at age 7. Then, while in middle school at 14, her family learned she had an “irregular heartbeat.” Her father was a doctor, and he treated her most of the time, “so there's not a lot of medical records” to show, she said.

Then, by 17, she left her home when her family stated she had started drinking and exhibiting some “behavioral problems,” as per the coroner.

At 38, she was diagnosed with a cardiologist for the irregular heartbeat and “mental disorder” referred to a psychiatrist, which, according to the coroner, she never went to.

A 911 call 6 days before Elena Moore's disappearance

Six days before Moore disappeared on June 5, a 911 call was received about Moore, who was having chest pains as well as an “altered mental status.”

June 5 was also the day when Moore was seen on a Ring camera at a neighbor’s house. The video began circulating on social media and was later aired by local station WIS after her disappearance.


She was taken to Lexington Medical Center. Fisher said, citing medical records, that Moore was diagnosed with several mental health conditions while receiving treatment.

She was there until June 11, the same day she was discharged and disappeared.

Moore's husband offered to pick her from hospital

According to Fisher, Moore’s husband wanted to pick her up, but the facility arranged for a taxi to take her home instead.

She never returned home after that. As per Fisher, the taxi took Moore to a CVS on Sunset Boulevard, her previous workplace. She left the store on foot.

Moore was last seen crossing North Lake Drive near Old Cherokee Road on June 11, near where her body was later discovered on June 17.

Fisher also said that Moore died not long after being seen for the final time.