Police widened their search for missing Lexington woman Elena Moore on Wednesday, focusing on wooded areas near Lakeside Middle School and closing part of Old Cherokee Road as the case moved into a new phase. The road was shut between North Lake Drive and Berkshire Drive while officers worked the area.
The search began around 1:30 p.m. and involved multiple agencies, a sign that investigators are now pushing beyond the places already checked. Moore, 39, was last seen June 11, and police have said they do not yet suspect foul play even as they continue to search and restrict access to the neighborhood.
The closure affects drivers and residents in the Berkshire subdivision, who were told to enter from the Pilgrim Church side of Old Cherokee Road and to identify themselves to officers for access. That step came after Lexington police found no trace of Moore in a Monday search behind Lowe’s Home Improvement, where they said the effort was meant to rule out one more place she could be rather than recover her.
Investigators have been piecing together Moore’s last known movements through camera footage and other images. Police released a photo that appeared to show her at Planet Fitness at 560 Whiteford Way, where she signed in at 6:40 p.m. on June 11, and footage later showed her walking through the Publix parking lot at 100 Old Cherokee Road at 9:17 p.m. before heading toward Old Cherokee Road.
Moore, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighs about 120 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes, was last seen wearing an olive green zip-up hoodie and black athletic pants. Police said she reportedly frequents the Planet Fitness location, and her husband reported her missing on June 12.
The open question remains where she went after the 9:17 p.m. footage and whether the search area being pushed outward will turn up anything new. Police have asked anyone with home or business surveillance footage showing Moore after June 11 to contact the Lexington Police Department.
