Few cases puzzle VicPD detectives as much as the disappearance of Emma Fillipoff, now marking 13 years without answers. The 26-year-old was last seen on Nov. 28, 2012, walking barefoot nearby Victoria’s Empress Hotel on Government Street. On the night she vanished, officers checked on Fillipoff around 7 p.m. after an acquaintance who saw her on a street corner expressed concern about her state. After a brief conversation, the officer left, noting she appeared safe at the time. Shortly after, her van was located in a nearby hotel parking lot. Inside were most of her belongings, including her passport, laptop, journals, camera, and recently borrowed library books. In a press release, VicPD noted that Fillipoff appeared to be experiencing “the onset of mental health challenges.” While Fillipoff’s story remains unresolved, her case is now with VicPD’s Historical Case Unit and the investigation is still ongoing. For her mother, Shelley Fillipoff, the 13th anniversary is a painful reminder of the years that have slipped by. While each Nov. 28 brings renewed grief, she reflects the hope she held early on, believing it was only a matter of time before she and daughter were reunited. “As time wore on, keeping that hope alive became more difficult,” she said. Despite the years, she continues to cling to that hope, drawing strength from her three other children, who keep her grounded. “Without it, I have nothing,” she said. Shelley shared that a new six-part series, Barefoot in the Night, will launch on Emma’s 40th birthday. Aiming to renew public awareness of the case, it will premiere on Jan. 6, 2026. More information and ways to help in the search can be found at helpfindemmafillipoff.ca. Details about Fillipoff’s disappearance and other Canadian missing person cases are available on the RCMP’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains website.
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