WATCH: It’s been five years since Emma Fillipoff disappeared, leaving her mother wondering why. But Shelley Fillipoff is refusing to give up hope. Veronica Cooper has more.
Putting up posters on the fifth anniversary of Emma Fillipoff’s disappearance, her mother, Shelley, isn’t giving up hope.
“It’s a 50 per cent chance that I may never see her again, but I feel that, at this point, I have a 50 per cent chance of finding her,” Fillipoff said.
Shelley has made the trek back to Victoria to continue the search for her missing daughter, who was last seen on Nov. 28, 2012.
“At 8 p.m. she vanished,” says Shelley. “And no one has seen or heard from her since. The police have received hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of tips. I’ve received hundreds of tips. Nothing has panned out.”
On that day five years ago, Victoria police responded to reports of a woman, barefoot and acting strangely outside the Fairmont Empress hotel. Two police officers spoke to Emma for about 45 minutes, and then let her leave. She hasn’t been seen since. Fillipoff has never been told what that conversation entailed.
On that day five years ago, Victoria police responded to reports of a woman, barefoot and acting strangely outside the Fairmont Empress hotel. Two police officers spoke to Emma for about 45 minutes and then let her leave. She hasn’t been seen since. Shelley has never been told what that conversation entailed.
“I have a better understanding now of why [the police] don’t want it released. If this were to become a criminal case, anything in those notes, anything that they have that could be used against someone in a criminal case would be thrown out if I was privy to it,” Shelley said.
Emma was 26 years old when she disappeared. Her mother has organized a candlelight vigil across from the Fairmont Empress for Tuesday evening.
“I would encourage people to come out tonight to the candlelit walk,” says Shelley. “I think it’s going to be emotional. I think it’s going to a spiritual experience. I hope it somehow draws Emma to us.”
Her mother emotionally adds that “Emma’s life will never be over. Whether we find her alive or not, there will never closure, there will never be a closed book on Emma. I will make sure that Emma lives on.”
Victoria Police Const. Matt Rutherford says that the police “encourage anyone with any information, whether they think it’s significant, or insignificant, to call us and let us know, and our investigators can follow up.”
Veronica Cooper
