FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

November 28, 2025 

Victoria, B.C. – Today marks the 13th anniversary of Emma Fillipoff’s disappearance. 

The 26-year-old was last seen November 28, 2012, outside the Empress Hotel on Government Street. 

The case is now with VicPD’s Historical Case Review Unit where the case will continue to be investigated. Officers checked Emma at approximately 7:00 p.m. that evening, and she was found to be safe at that time. Her van was later found in a nearby hotel parking lot, holding most of her belongings, including her passport, laptop, journals, camera, and recently borrowed library books. At the time of her disappearance, Emma appeared to be suffering from the onset of some mental health issues.   

For Shelley Fillipoff, Emma’s mom, the 13th anniversary of her daughter’s disappearance feels painfully familiar to the years that have passed. While each anniversary brings renewed grief, Shelley reflects the hope she held early on, believing it was only a matter of time before she and Emma were reunited. “As time wore on, keeping that hope alive became more difficult,” Shelley shares. Despite the years, she clings to that hope, finding strength in her three other children who keep her grounded. “Without it,” she says, “I have nothing.” 

Sharing a photo from 2001 with VicPD, Shelley recalled how much Emma loved Christmas. “She always took charge of decorating the tree with me and her youngest brother, Alexander,” Shelley remembered fondly. 

 

A photo of Emma Fillipoff and her mother, Shelley Fillipoff, taken in 2001.

Photos of Emma Fillipoff before her disappearance.

Shelley shared that a new docuseries would launch on Emma’s 40th birthday. The six-part series, called Barefoot in the Night, aims to renew public awareness of Emma’s case and will premiere on January 6, 2026. A companion vodcast will also be available. 

You can find more information about Emma and help with the search at https://helpfindemmafillipoff.ca/. 

More information about Emma’s disappearance and other Canadian missing persons investigations can be found on the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains website: Canada's Missing | Case details (rcmp-grc.gc.ca).