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

[Fireweed]

I'm new to the forum..
but this is a case I have found very intriguing for a while.

The more and more I read on this, the more I believe she had a mental breakdown of sorts & disappeared of her own accord. Perhaps she was lost after the break and didn't know who she was? Or maybe she just simply didn't want to come home. The reports of her being a junkie now is plausible, because people in the folds of a hard addiction (such as that of heroin) become shells of themselves with no motivation or ambition to pull themselves back out. Another theory I find very plausible is that she was being stalked or harassed, and eventually was kidnapped and trafficked.

Regardless, she seems to be a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul. I hope her family has answers soon <3

Hi I am new to this case too. I saw The Fifth Estate program and I was intrigued. A few things struck me. One, Emma was clearly suffering from mental illness of some kind. I hate the word "junkie" but I am simply not buying that someone with untreated mental illness is not self-medicating somehow. I do believe that Emma, as a health-conscious vegan, would have put it off as long as possible, but people with untreated mental problems all turn to drugs and/or alcohol. I say this as an alcoholic (recovering) myself.

Something else huge struck me about the YMCA video footage. She is clearly very paranoid in that video. The reason I think it is mental illness is that a mentally healthy person in that situation would have called the police if they were scared. Paranoid people do what Emma was doing. I know, I have been there (drug-induced paranoia).

As to the "white slavery", I see this theory brought up in every single solitary case of a missing attractive young white woman. I have not seen not one single instance where it has turned out to be true. I will consider it to be pure fantasy until I am proven otherwise.

With all this in mind, after careful study of many missing person's cases that were eventually resolved, my own non-scientific conclusion is that if Emma is dead, then her body is within a few miles of where she was last seen. If she is alive and being held captive, then she is less than 100 miles away. If she is alive and missing on her volition then she is still in Canada or at the most in the Pacific Northwest of the US.

 

[lynck]

Welcome to the thread!

 

[shelley fillipoff]

I have help my breath since the locating of remains off Dallas Road but have heard nothing...maybe I can breathe.

 

[kmclaren]

I have help my breath since the locating of remains off Dallas Road but have heard nothing...maybe I can breathe.

Yes, I think you can breathe... The TC reported "not suspicious" and that it was a man. There is a diver missing from very close to there but VPD have said it is not him and they have not said much more.

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...-clover-point-not-suspicious-police-1.1994638

 

[anonymess]

Wondering if the Ralstons would be useful in this case. http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/313033871.html?mobile=true
Due to Emma taking her shoes off that unfortunate night, the nature of some of the poetry shared in the documentary, and the missing bag, I have always worried she went into the water. Especially with the recent swims at the Y before her disappearance. I've read that divers searched the harbour but I've also heard that dives are immensely challenging. It would be interesting to see if the Ralstons' sonar has worked for recoveries in similar environments. (That said I pray that Emma is alive and well and that this theory is disproven readily!) Best wishes to her family and friends - I hope you are reunited with Emma soon.

 

[lynck]

There are so many people walking the harbour she would have been found within days. Doubtful she went into the ocean. There are also water taxis out there that would likely have seen a body

 

[Fireweed]

There are so many people walking the harbour she would have been found within days. Doubtful she went into the ocean. There are also water taxis out there that would likely have seen a body

I hope and pray that Emma is still alive somewhere, but I have seen many missing person's cases where the body is found years later not far from where the person was last seen. I would never use the fact that a body was not seen as proof that there was no body.

Also, as in the cases of Bradyn Fuksa and John Glasgow, for example, there were several "sightings" of both men when in reality they died very soon after they were last seen alive and their bodies were very close by.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I am wondering if there was a curfew at the Women's shelter as a courtesy to other's staying there. Like, was there a 10pm curfew to not wake others or something. I am also curious about who else was staying at the shelter with her.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I'm also curious who Emma was spending time with and who her associations all were before she went missing. Long time friends or newly made associates? Was she surrounded by leaches and liars or was did she have a few good loyal friends she'd spend time with when not alone?

It seems like she ran into someone after talking to LE. She would've had to have gone somewhere with someone by car either someone known to her or a stranger hitchhiking, otherwise there would be witness accounts of her on the ferry or public buses. I don't even think she hitchhiked, as again I think witnesses would've noticed her and come forward.

To me, it seems like she was persuaded to go somewhere with someone she thought she could possibly trust or knew from somewhere, JMO.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I do not think she went to the mainland that night as I believe at that time of year the last ferry was at 9pm. She would not have made it even if she got a ride with someone and they sped, I don't think they would've made it in time since she was seen at the Empress at almost 8pm that night.

 

[arizona sunshine]

Curfew at the hostel is more than likely, and probably earlier than we imagine, I know that many close their doors at 6pm, otherwise can you imagine the gong show through the night as people come and go, increasing risky behaviour. I believe most hostels require residents to sign in/out.(My husband is a crisis interventionist and he often gets information from staff about last time a resident booked in/was seen, the hostels keep a record of all the comings and goings.)

When I lived in Victoria BC recently for 4 years hitchhiking was common place. Also there are lots of small islands off the coast of Victoria accessible to folk, where people can go off the radar eg many US draft dodgers are known to have lived on the the little islands between Victoria and the Washington coast.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Curfew at the hostel is more than likely, and probably earlier than we imagine, I know that many close their doors at 6pm, otherwise can you imagine the gong show through the night as people come and go, increasing risky behaviour. I believe most hostels require residents to sign in/out.(My husband is a crisis interventionist and he often gets information from staff about last time a resident booked in/was seen, the hostels keep a record of all the comings and goings.)

When I lived in Victoria BC recently for 4 years hitchhiking was common place. Also there are lots of small islands off the coast of Victoria accessible to folk, where people can go off the radar eg many US draft dodgers are known to have lived on the the little islands between Victoria and the Washington coast.

Yes, and the smaller islands have more infrequent and scanty ferry times so more difficult to catch. There is lots of hitchhiking but still rare enough that I notice them when I see them as I worry for them!

I'm also curious if Shelley or the PI were told Emma was paranoid by people staying at the shelter or by the staff and/or trained professionals. There's logical reasons one might seem paranoid (being genuinely concerned for one's own safety) and illogical reasons like perhaps mental illness.

 

[kokanee]

the gentleman who claims to have found the card was staying in a Langford halfway house. But he claims he didn't find it where the police say (on the Goose trail). So where did he find it? did he actually find it or did Emma give it to him so he could buy cigarettes which was what he was doing when the police were tipped that somebody was trying to use the card which was flagged. Or did Emma sell him the card at a discount because she knew if she cashed it she'd be located? The fellow (M) has contacted Shelley and said he had nothing to do with Emma's disappearance. He claims he cant remember where he found the card but then contradicts himself by claiming it wasn't found where the police say it was found. So if M can contact Shelley again and clarify how he came into possession of the card that would go a long way to establishing whether Emma was actually in Langford. The police of course will reveal nothing as its an 'open file' which sits in a file cabinet until further tips come in which unfortunately hasn't happened. Emma lived on the boat because the woman would see her crawling out in the morning from under the tree she was sleeping under and so offered her space to sleep aboard the boat which was very nice of her.

 

[LoisLane]

Does anyone recall the name of the store that "green shirt man" was caught on camera? He claimed to be Emmas's boyfriend and tore down her missing poster. I am trying to pinpoint the name of the shop as well the date that he did this. I am also curious if there were other posters placed in neighbouring shops and if he tore those down as well. Why that specific shop? Could Emma have made a purchase earlier that day and she told him about the poster and so he went to the shop to remove it? Was their footage from earlier on in that day?

 

[kokanee]

Does anyone recall the name of the store that "green shirt man" was caught on camera? He claimed to be Emmas's boyfriend and tore down her missing poster. I am trying to pinpoint the name of the shop as well the date that he did this. I am also curious if there were other posters placed in neighbouring shops and if he tore those down as well. Why that specific shop? Could Emma have made a purchase earlier that day and she told him about the poster and so he went to the shop to remove it? Was their footage from earlier on in that day?

he walked into New World on Cordova with the poster in his hand. That's the video that Fifth Estate used on the Finding Emma program. He looked around the store at clothing and then left that store and went into Hitz Boutique next door and gave the poster to the store owner to discard and claimed Emma was his girlfriend etc .I believe that was 27 May 2014. Here's the link to some info from the Hitz store owner https://www.facebook.com/HelpFindEmmaFillipoff/posts/619362321492780

 

[kokanee]

Hitz Boutique has since closed. The guys in the Blue Door weed shop next to the Balmoral Hotel on Hastings said a woman matching Emma came into the store and took down the missing poster that had been put up. She explained she didn't want the poster displayed. No confirmation it was Emma. My friend was friends with a couple of the employees of the blue door and they were the ones that explained what had happened with the poster we put up. That shop has since been sold.

 

[lynck]

Was thinking today about all the tunnels and such (storm drains etc) that run under Victoria and couldn't help but think this could be a good place to get lost

This author wrote about it http://unknownvictoria.blogspot.com/2006/07/ooo-tunnels.html

There are a number of external links with some images and such from that page which could be very interesting. I wonder if one would need some sort of permission to go exploring those tunnels? Could Emma have gone into them and lost herself? I don't know if anyone really ever goes down those things..?? Never seen them myself

 

[dotr]

Was thinking today about all the tunnels and such (storm drains etc) that run under Victoria and couldn't help but think this could be a good place to get lost

This author wrote about it http://unknownvictoria.blogspot.com/2006/07/ooo-tunnels.html

There are a number of external links with some images and such from that page which could be very interesting. I wonder if one would need some sort of permission to go exploring those tunnels? Could Emma have gone into them and lost herself? I don't know if anyone really ever goes down those things..?? Never seen them myself

Very good idea, one could picture Emma hiding in a spot like that, i imagine a cave type enclosure in the mountains- but water might be just right to soothe a troubled soul.imo.

 

[lynck]

Very good idea, one could picture Emma hiding in a spot like that, i imagine a cave type enclosure in the mountains- but water might be just right to soothe a troubled soul.imo.

After reviewing that site I would be remiss into thinking this isn't a distinct possibility.

Those tunnels are rumored to be used by the homeless often and it would be a really good idea to search. We already know bodies have been found in beacon hill park and other surrounding locations, so it stands to reason the possibility of finding a corpse in those tunnels too.

I hope LE has searched this area thoroughly but I strongly doubt it given the equipment required for some spots (lack of air and bad gasses are likely)
I would totally take part in a volunteer search with sanctioned permission and a proper breathing apparatus

Wonder how hard it would be to gather a search team and gain official permission to walk these things??

 

[dotr]

Bumping with a link for a U.K. booklet which tells the stories, experiences and explanations, of people who were apparently" missing," but ultimately returned home.

http://www.geographiesofmissingpeople.org.uk/downloads/missingvoices.pdf