Police release aged sketch of Emma Fillipoff on 10th anniversary of her disappearance

An age-progression drawing of missing woman Emma Fillipoff has been released to the public in hopes of gathering more tips about her disappearance 10 years ago.

On the evening of Nov. 28, 2012, the Victoria Police Department was contacted about a woman acting oddly in front of the Empress Hotel.

Officers located Emma and "spoke with her at length."

“After ensuring her well-being, Emma continued on her way. Emma was reported missing a few hours later. She has not been heard from or seen since,” said police.

To date, investigators have been unsuccessful in determining what may have happened to her.

Detectives made a request through the RCMP for the assistance of an officer who is a trained forensic artist.

“Age-progression drawings are difficult because there are many unknown factors,” explained the department.

“Did the person go from being an active individual to a ‘couch potato’, or are they now an ultra- marathon runner? For Emma specifically, we didn’t know if she may be unhoused, or if she is living a happy and healthy lifestyle in another location.”

Due to that range of factors, the artist’s job is to capture the “essence” of the person while also aging them appropriately.

“The artist spoke with Emma’s mother, and we supplied him with a number of different photos for reference. Emma had a youthful appearance and she has a very youthful air about her,” police said.

“Her energy comes through in the photos she took, which the artist was able to replicate in his image to better the odds that viewers may recognize that person and contact the police.”

Emma’s disappearance continues to be actively investigated, but while police say hundreds of tips have been received from across the country and from across the globe, none have proven to be confirmed sightings of her.

If you see Emma Fillipoff, or have any information about where she may be, please contact the VicPD non-emergency line at 250-995-7654, or your local police department.

Information can also be anonymously provided through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).