CANADA Canada - Emma Fillipoff, 26, Victoria BC, 28 Nov 2012

[Lalalacasbah]

I'm thinking one major reason behind so many of her belongings (especially passport and laptop) being left behind is the fact that they were, at that time, impounded.

Did she just give up out of frustration and walk away? She was having a rough day---something may have happened at the shelter, in addition to the van being towed, and then the last interaction she had with LE. I'm thinking the LE talk may have been the last straw, and she snapped.

All possible, anything is possible, so many scenarios! Seems so likely that could be it too.

I'm still unsure she'd abandon her camera and laptop with her photos though without trying to at least get those out of impount. More those than the van itself even... From my experience, photos and a camera are one of the most prized possessions to a photographer, it's every photographer's worst nightmare to ever lose one's photos (and memories). Unless she hit that point, wasn't rational and it didn't matter anymore.

 

[evafiore]

All possible, anything is possible, so many scenarios! Seems so likely that could be it too.

I'm still unsure she'd abandon her camera and laptop with her photos though without trying to at least get those out of impount. More those than the van itself even... From my experience, photos and a camera are one of the most prized possessions to a photographer, it's every photographer's worst nightmare to ever lose one's photos (and memories). Unless she hit that point, wasn't rational and it didn't matter anymore.

It's not uncommon for people to do that in breakups, and they may be (relatively) rational yet. It just gets to the point that it's not worth going back to get it, and in a sense, it feels liberating, like starting fresh.

She is a traveler at heart. At some point, some people with that spirit become less attached to material possessions (my experience, anyway).

 

[Satchie]

After looking at the Harbour Air Terminal, I realized that the last flight leaves at 6:00 pm (

The seaplane schedule changes with the seasons as they are not allowed to fly in the dark, in late November last flight out is 3:15 pm, last flight from Van arrives about 4:15 pm.

 

[Satchie]

I'm trying eliminate the unlikely possibilities. For example, if she made it to a friend's, that person has never reported it, so not really a friend at all. Plenty of young women do get into trouble from trusting the wrong people, but Emma seems not to have trusted anyone by that stage. I think she just said that about a friend to get the police to go away.

Then the credit card: either she dropped it, someone else dropped it, or the person who used it was lying.

I actually think the credit card makes it unlikely there was foul play by anyone other than the person who used it. If a person is trying to hide someone, why would they foolishly drop an easily cut up and discarded credit card. I don't know why it would have been 'planted', for me that is getting into a realm of wild speculation. So I think the person who used the credit card is highly suspect, but we don't know anything about him.

The other remote possibility is she dropped it herself, but I'm just not able to find much reason for her to be all that way out of downtown, and then somehow kept going somewhere else, with no money at all, weak and paranoid. Surely she would have been seen, or had dropped something else.

 

[dotr]

So strange that most of Emma's belongings have been located, even a little " needle in the haystack "credit card and yet, no sign at all of Emma.

 

[Leischa]

It's not uncommon for people to do that in breakups, and they may be (relatively) rational yet. It just gets to the point that it's not worth going back to get it, and in a sense, it feels liberating, like starting fresh.

She is a traveler at heart. At some point, some people with that spirit become less attached to material possessions (my experience, anyway).

True. If all she wanted was to start a new life somewhere else with no ties to her past, it's possible that she didn't want to bring her memories with her. But, at the same time, a laptop and a camera are worth quite a lot of money, and I'd much rather delete everything on them than leave them behind. But that's just me. I can see why someone would do that.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I'm trying eliminate the unlikely possibilities. For example, if she made it to a friend's, that person has never reported it, so not really a friend at all. Plenty of young women do get into trouble from trusting the wrong people, but Emma seems not to have trusted anyone by that stage. I think she just said that about a friend to get the police to go away.

Then the credit card: either she dropped it, someone else dropped it, or the person who used it was lying.

I actually think the credit card makes it unlikely there was foul play by anyone other than the person who used it. If a person is trying to hide someone, why would they foolishly drop an easily cut up and discarded credit card. I don't know why it would have been 'planted', for me that is getting into a realm of wild speculation. So I think the person who used the credit card is highly suspect, but we don't know anything about him.

The other remote possibility is she dropped it herself, but I'm just not able to find much reason for her to be all that way out of downtown, and then somehow kept going somewhere else, with no money at all, weak and paranoid. Surely she would have been seen, or had dropped something else.

I can't shake the possible friend thing (yet) - and that's exactly my point, they might not have been a true friend at all. Could've been a pseudo friend/or even just a person she kinda knew who gained her trust knowing she was vulnerable. We know she had at least two acquaintances in Victoria and they were interviewed by The Fifth Estate, as well IIRC the other tenant at the shelter said Emma mentioned a friend, and kokanee on the thread here mentioned the friend at the Hotel 760. That's a possibility of 4 people, assuming some of them aren't the same people.

I should've used a different word than 'planted' regarding the credit card. I don't mean it was planted on someone or near a particular someone to find in some sort of conspiracy-like way. I meant if it got in someone else's hands dishonestly from someone who was with Emma and they 'conveniently put' it somewhere with lots of foot traffic so it seemed 'random', when in fact it was planned to look random. But you raise a great point, why random drop it when they could cut it up?

I wish we knew more about the guy who used the credit card, I personally don't think there's a connection or that he's involved because he'd have to be awfully stupid to use that card if he was involved in the disappearance of the owner. That's why it seems a little convenient that he found it, JMO.

Exactly, you're right. She would've dropped other things if she did it herself. Also, if she was at the Empress at almost 8pm, it would've been dark out and doubtful she'd start making her way out to Langford or Sooke at that time of night, at least on foot.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

So strange that most of Emma's belongings have been located, even a little " needle in the haystack "credit card and yet, no sign at all of Emma.

That's the odd part isn't it? It's seems like it's the most impersonal thing she had with her - a blank credit card has been found. But no orange purse, no shoe, no ID, or whatever other personal belongings she had on her at the time has not been found though.

 

[LoisLane]

When the Police questioned/spoke with Emma the night of her disappearance did they take notes? Would those notes be read back to Shelley? When Emma said she was going to a friend's home did the Police ask for the name and location of the friend?

 

[Lalalacasbah]

When the Police questioned/spoke with Emma the night of her disappearance did they take notes? Would those notes be read back to Shelley? When Emma said she was going to a friend's home did the Police ask for the name and location of the friend?

Not sure if I'm remembering this right (correct me if I'm wrong please)...but I thought someone on this thread (kokanee maybe?) mentioned that Vic PD wouldn't divulge any information about their conversation with Emma that night to other law enforcement outside of Victoria or something like that or that it would interfere with the file(?) I might have that wrong, maybe someone else can confirm or clear up.

In The Fifth Estate program, they do share some snippets of the conversation though, they talked with her approx 30-45 minutes, so sounds like they were concerned and assessing the situation, but their hands we probably tied to legally do anything

 

[Leischa]

By the way, I don't know if everyone took the time to read the comments posted in the Help Find Emma Facebook page, but I found many posts written by JH.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

By the way, I don't know if everyone took the time to read the comments posted in the Help Find Emma Facebook page, but I found many posts written by JH.

Good idea, I definitely need a refresh on the FB posts and comments, thanks for the info and reminder.

 

[kokanee]

yes Nelson RCMP requested the transcripts of the interview with Emma in front of the Empress from VicPD but they refused to share that info.There were several possible sightings of Emma in Slocan Valley and hitch hiking around the area where the original family homestead was at Shoreacres back in 2013 so Nelson RCMP wanted background info but VicPD refused to share.... no idea what they might be afraid of revealing

 

[lynck]

How long before she disappeared was her social media deactivated?

 

[kokanee]

good question lynck...Shelley says (computer issues) ''facebook was long gone, maybe even a couple of years"

 

[kokanee]

Shelley says...."""China was a long time ago and she was there for a few months...Don't believe overseas travel is worth considering""""

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Just starting to re-read the FB pages posts and someone asks a really good question early on in Dec 2012, as to whether the police checked Emma's laptop's internet browsing history. I'm assuming the laptop was in the van while in it was in storage and she didn't have it with her at the shelter.

It sounds like she went to the library often to possibly to use internet/email and wasn't using her personal laptop. If she was using the internet at the library I would think she has to log in and it's somehow linked to her library card ID. LE would've had to have had a way to look at her browsing history at the library wouldn't they? If they had access to this, there might be important info there.

 

[LoisLane]

Question... Who oversees the Victoria Police Department? Is there a time frame for the information they have gained to be turned over to a third-party whether it be another police department, investigator, or complaints board of sorts?

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Question... Who oversees the Victoria Police Department? Is there a time frame for the information they have gained to be turned over to a third-party whether it be another police department, investigator, or complaints board of sorts?

Good question. I'm very bad with titles (chief, lieutenant, etc.) but on the website there's the Chief Constable Frank J. Elsner. Here's the link:

https://vicpd.ca/aboutus/chief-constable/

The only reason I can see VicPD not giving other departments info is if they do have something of a case that they might be protecting or building. I thought I read somewhere on here another comment about VicPD saying something about them not letting info about the case out, can't remember where I read it on the thread though.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Working off of Lois' last post about privacy and the right to information, the fact that the Sandy Merriman shelter won't release confidential records in relation to Emma is a huge frustration but common protocol.

It sounds like the shelter won't release Emma's records to police or the family (not sure I have that info right), but I'm wondering if another healthcare professional (doctor, psychiatrist) requested the reports/records if they would release them? Not sure the legalities, but it might be a sort of loophole if police or the family can find a healthcare professional to work with them to try to acquire them legally.