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

[CDNSleuth]

You raise excellent points. All things that have has us all wondering and very worried. She told the tow truck driver that she was heading home to surprise her family. To me, she has not disappeared of her own accord - whether it be that she is so ill that she does not remember who she is or someone is holding her is anyone's guess but she definitely was planning on coming home up until her disappearance.

Shelley

Totally agree with you Shelley. In my opinion, it looks like Emma was planning to come back to Ontario, which makes me believe someone out there definitely knows where Emma is. All possible suspects mentioned must be investigated fully. Shelley can you tell us how thorough the police investigated all the suspects?

All posts are my opinion only...

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Emma's last words to me were please don't come, not today mom. Having spoken with her 4 times over the weekend going back and forth "come, don't come,I'm just having a bad day", I decided to go against her wishes and fly out. She did not know I was coming.

I believe she chose Sook as it was much cheaper than city storage. It was towed back a few days before her disappearance, she told the driver that she was packing it up to send her belongings home on the bus and that she was then going to fly home. This took place before the phone calls started. I believe she chose the Chateau Vic parking lot, even though I imagine it was expensive, because it was just down the hill from the Sandy Merriman women's shelter and therefore could access t easily.

Shelley

Hi Shelley, thanks for coming on here with your story and correcting any discrepancies. I can't imagine how exhausted you must be, especially repeating the details surrounding your daughter's disappearance, I'm sure it's draining, emotional and it's every mother's worse nightmare. I'm sorry your Emma isn't home yet, I can't even imagine your torment.

Something or new information has to come to light soon, someone out there has to know more about this. Someone out there knows something. I hope we can help in some tiny way, maybe with fresh ideas, I don't know. I hope you feel our support here.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/G...4!3m1!1s0x548f749119043301:0xf218289b88eb2ff5


looks to me like Emma had planned well -- parking lot so close to bus station too.....greyhound is an excellent way to send parcels home.....perhaps she needed packing supplies as one often accumulates ''more stuff'' after being away for a while....

Is it possible that there was a ''deal in the works'' for scrapping and/or selling the van? I wonder if she used kijiji or craigslist to sell the van?

an example like this?

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-auto-towing-...scrap-cars-victoria-bc-250-588-7172/425256596

Yes, good point. She was of sound mind enough to think to keep everything close by - van/belongs by the bus station. If her van was towed Nov 28 in the morning with her belongings in it, would this have pushed her to the edge stress-wise?

She was planning and seemed semi-organized, so what changed to transition her state to be barefoot and disorientated? Was she gearing up to go home, went to her van/belongings, saw they were gone and did this contribute to a final layer of mental stress and lead to a breakdown?

Trying to think of various scenarios...

Also wondering if she knew someone who worked at the Chateau Victoria as I'm very surprised they would let vehicles rent/sit in their lot for a week. I'm going to look into this unless anyone else knows more about this? I think part or all of their parking lot is covered but above ground.

 

[LoisLane]

I am holding out hope that Emma is living off the grid and has adapted to that lifestyle. There are many possible communities of this nature and it would be good to look into. I doubt there is much for social marketing or an on-line presence of such places but there are a lot of people who have been or know of these areas and it would be worth spreading the word. JMO.

 

[LoisLane]

I will have to watch the Fifth Estate again to clarify the timeline but I wonder about the person who contacted police about her walking barefoot and being disoriented and if there was follow-up with this person as well as a security check on them. I am also skeptical of the police who checked on Emma and said she was in no danger and if they have been cleared or questioned in relation to Emma's disappearance. Was it not the police who were officially the last to have seen her? Was the video footage of her in the lobby before the police contact with her or after?

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I am holding out hope that Emma is living off the grid and has adapted to that lifestyle. There are many possible communities of this nature and it would be good to look into. I doubt there is much for social marketing or an on-line presence of such places but there are a lot of people who have been or know of these areas and it would be worth spreading the word. JMO.

Yeah, Lasqueti Island was just in the news about the off-gridders living there. And up by Port Renfrew and on the coast there's communities I think. I wonder if these communities read the news or would know she's missing or that her family is worried about her? I would hope if she's living in a community that someone would contact LE to let them know she's safe with them so her family can breathe a little.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I will have to watch the Fifth Estate again to clarify the timeline but I wonder about the person who contacted police about her walking barefoot and being disoriented and if there was follow-up with this person as well as a security check on them. I am also skeptical of the police who checked on Emma and said she was in no danger and if they have been cleared or questioned in relation to Emma's disappearance. Was it not the police who were officially the last to have seen her? Was the video footage of her in the lobby before the police contact with her or after?

Yes, police were last to see her. Sadly, downtown Victoria is riddled with many, many homeless/drug addict/transient types and I fear Emma was possibly misjudged and mistaken to be one of that crowd. I think LE did their due diligence but had no choice but to let her go on her way, as they had no reason to forcibly confine or hold her. Victoria is a mecca for young and old drifter types because of the mild climate, when downtown you're constantly bypassing addicts and beggars, it's one of Victoria's little secrets that tourists don't really know about.

Not sure about the footage time and can't remember the details of the person who called police, I think it was an old friend of hers, but someone mentioned in was the Empress Hotel staff that called LE. In the article linked it says "A passerby saw her and called 911"

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...g-a-mysterious-trail-through-victoria-1.75659

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Yes, good point. She was of sound mind enough to think to keep everything close by - van/belongs by the bus station. If her van was towed Nov 28 in the morning with her belongings in it, would this have pushed her to the edge stress-wise?

She was planning and seemed semi-organized, so what changed to transition her state to be barefoot and disorientated? Was she gearing up to go home, went to her van/belongings, saw they were gone and did this contribute to a final layer of mental stress and lead to a breakdown?

Trying to think of various scenarios...

Also wondering if she knew someone who worked at the Chateau Victoria as I'm very surprised they would let vehicles rent/sit in their lot for a week. I'm going to look into this unless anyone else knows more about this? I think part or all of their parking lot is covered but above ground.

Sorry to reply to my own quote, just realized this article states she parked her van in the neighboring lot of Chateau Victoria but it was towed away. I'm curious if it was ever parked at the hotel or always in the neighboring lot? (BBM)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...g-a-mysterious-trail-through-victoria-1.75659

ETA-Also in the article above on the map it says "used debit card to pay for a taxi ride at 6:10pm. It's a short ride within the downtown. Police will not release the details of the cab ride"(BBM) Did she get a ride to visit a friend or someone who lived downtown to say goodbye to them before going home? It was after that ride where she was seen in shock and barefoot, did something traumatic happen? Where did she go on that short cab ride? And why won't LE release details?

 

[LoisLane]

This Wikipedia has an excellent collection of details and timeline.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Fillipoff

 

[Lalalacasbah]

This Wikipedia has an excellent collection of details and timeline.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Fillipoff

Thanks LL, will check it out.

 

[LoisLane]

Yes, police were last to see her. Sadly, downtown Victoria is riddled with many, many homeless/drug addict/transient types and I fear Emma was possibly misjudged and mistaken to be one of that crowd. I think LE did their due diligence but had to choice but to let her go on her way, as they had no reason to forcibly confine or hold her. Victoria is a mecca for young and old drifter types because of the mild climate, when downtown you're constantly bypassing addicts and beggars, it's one of Victoria's little secrets that tourists don't really know about.

Not sure about the footage time and can't remember the details of the person who called police, I think it was an old friend of hers, but someone mentioned in was the Empress Hotel staff that called LE. In the article linked it says "A passerby saw her and called 911"

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/l...g-a-mysterious-trail-through-victoria-1.75659

I hate to be the questioner of police integrity but the fact that they are the last ones to have officially seen Emma is unsettling. Was it one officer or two who interacted with her? Male or female? When did their shift end and was there any questioning as to their movements after his/her shift?

 

[dotr]

Video with lots of pics.
Maybe Emma is still near one of the hotels/shelter, seems like a theme - places where people stay, then go. imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw5rvpUU-Bw
rbbm.

"Emma was last seen in the immediate vicinity of the Empress hotel between 7:30-8:30 on November 28th
- Her red Mazda MPV 1993 van was found in the Chateau Victoria parking lot 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. it is believed she used the van as storage."

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I hate to be the questioner of police integrity but the fact that they are the last ones to have officially seen Emma is unsettling. Was it one officer or two who interacted with her? Male or female? When did their shift end and was there any questioning as to their movements after his/her shift?

I think it was 2 officers, not sure whether male or female...

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Video with lots of pics.
Maybe Emma is still near one of the hotels/shelter, seems like a theme - places where people stay, then go. imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw5rvpUU-Bw
rbbm.

"Emma was last seen in the immediate vicinity of the Empress hotel between 7:30-8:30 on November 28th
- Her red Mazda MPV 1993 van was found in the Chateau Victoria parking lot 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. it is believed she used the van as storage."

Hopefully she is somewhere safe and warm, but even if she is, her poor family needs to know she's safe.

 

[Leischa]

Are we allowed to discuss JH on here?

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Are we allowed to discuss JH on here?

IIRC, there was brief discussion about JH upthread…not sure how much info was discussed. I think if you can do it in code or cryptically it might be ok or you can always ask mods. I'm not up on all the rules

 

[Leischa]

IIRC, there was brief discussion about JH upthread…not sure how much info was discussed. I think if you can do it in code or cryptically it might be ok or you can always ask mods. I'm not up on all the rules

Thank you! I'll ask mods before I post anything about him, just in case...

 

[CDNSleuth]

Thank you! I'll ask mods before I post anything about him, just in case...

I have referred to these suspects in abbreviation and I hope it's allowed and is my opinion only. After many weeks of research there is one thing that rings constant to me regarding Emma's disappearance...none of the suspects mentioned in my research have really been cleared. i think the public should really be concerned if one of the men questioned in this case are walking around with secrets. Hope the family PI agrees with my theories.
Again. Just my opinion.

 

[lynck]

Have they looked for activity on the library card, despite the fact it was found in the van? Normally you can't get a library card here unless you live in the district for a particular library. Maybe she had the number memorized and still uses it? Are missing posters up in every single library? I hope so

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Have they looked for activity on the library card, despite the fact it was found in the van? Normally you can't get a library card here unless you live in the district for a particular library. Maybe she had the number memorized and still uses it? Are missing posters up in every single library? I hope so

You raise an interesting point, I hope LE searched library files.

This is one of the reasons I veer towards her not consciously leaving willingly (unless she's ill) as she didn't take her favorite things (books, possible momentos from her van, presumably her journal if it was in the van).

She prepared so much the week leading up, that I can't help but think if she wanted to live off grid she would've packed a few treasured and suitable, practical belongings for shelter, food and warmth. She thought to get the phone and move her van, why not think of those little things?