Emma Fillipoff

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Victoria Police Department (VICPD)

Missing From:

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Summary:

Emma Fillipoff is a Canadian woman who has been missing since November 28, 2012. She was last seen in front of the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, at the age of 26. She was last seen between 7:15pm and 8:00pm that day being interviewed by Victoria Police Department officers, who decided she was not a threat to herself or anyone else and released her. Her whereabouts remain unknown.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Emma arrived in Victoria in the fall of 2011 from Perth, Ontario. She had brief employment at the Red Fish Blue Fish seafood restaurant in Victoria's Inner Harbour. Since the work was seasonal, she left the job on October 31, 2012, assuring co-workers she would be back in the spring. Unbeknownst to her family, she had stayed at the Sandy Merriman House women's shelter on and off since February. On November 23, she was captured on security footage at the Victoria YMCA, entering and leaving multiple times as if possibly avoiding someone. In the days preceding her disappearance, she had phoned her mother in Ontario, asking if she could come home. Early on November 28, she was captured on security footage purchasing a pre-paid cell phone at a 7-Eleven location on Government Street. The video showed her hesitating in departing the store, seemingly checking the street outside. She returned to the 7-Eleven to buy a pre-paid credit card for $200. She left the Sandy Merriman House at about 6:00pm that day. Soon after, she hailed a taxi and asked to be taken to the Victoria International Airport; however, she soon exited the taxi for lack of adequate fare. Minutes later, she was seen walking barefoot in front of the Empress Hotel. An acquaintance of hers, Dennis Quay, called 9-1-1 to say a woman was in severe distress outside the hotel. Victoria police arrived, took her name, and spent forty-five minutes speaking with her. After ensuring she was not a threat to herself or anyone else, they released her. Until a report surfaced in June 2018, no one reported seeing her since 8:00pm that night. Later that evening, police met her mother at Sandy Merriman House; by midnight she was classified as a missing person.

Additional Details:

Her red 1993 Mazda MPV was later found in the parking lot of the Chateau Victoria with almost all her belongings in it, including her passport, library card, digital camera, clothes, a pillow, assorted ornaments, laptop and recently borrowed library books. Investigators explored more than 200 leads, turning up minimal information. Most evidence indicates she was planning to return home to Ottawa, but there was no proof that she ever left Victoria. On December 5, 2012, at 11:17 a.m., the $200 prepaid credit card she purchased November 28 was flagged for use at a Petro Canada station on Sooke Road. The man who used the card was cleared after being questioned and polygraphed by police. In May 2014, business owners Joel and Lori Sellen witnessed a man in their Vancouver store throwing out a $25,000 missing persons reward poster for Emma. The man reported that she was his girlfriend and that she ran away because she hates her parents. The owners immediately called the police. Although security video captured an image of the man, he is yet to be identified as of 2024. In March 2016, Emma's mother and brother were charged with money laundering, as well as drug and weapons offenses, after an Ontario Provincial Police investigation. Shelley Fillipoff insisted the charges had nothing to do with the disappearance of Emma Fillipoff. In November 2016, all charges were dropped against Shelley Fillipoff, clearing her of any involvement. In the summer of 2018, a witness named William came forward with new information about encountering a woman the morning after Emma's disappearance. The woman matched her general description and demeanor. The report resulted in the organization of a search of the View Royal area of Victoria in December 2018. The case is now with VicPD's Historical Case Review Unit where the case will continue to be investigated. A new six-part docuseries called Barefoot in the Night aims to renew public awareness of Emma's case and will premiere on January 6, 2026.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 27, 2026