Mint Butterfield, the only child of technology company founders Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield, was reported missing from her mother's weekend home in Bolinas, California on April 22. After a week-long search, she was found underneath a mattress in a van by police officers. Butterfield had disappeared to escape the alleged influence of Christopher 'Kio' Dizefalo, a 26-year-old man whom she met at a club in Oakland. Dizefalo has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in her disappearance and was booked into Marin County Jail with bail set at $50,000.
Fake described a drastic change in her daughter’s behavior after meeting Dizefalo, suggesting he influenced her into unfamiliar activities, including drug use. Prior to meeting him, Mint did not exhibit any such behaviors. The teen was also observed in a concerning state, vomiting blood on a sidewalk in Oakland days before she was located by the police.
Sarah Atkins, the owner of the van where Butterfield was found, was also arrested and charged with kidnapping. However, Atkins allegedly may also be a victim of Dizefalo according to statements made by Fake.
Mint Butterfield’s disappearance and the circumstances surrounding it have drawn attention to her family's background. Fake and Stewart Butterfield, who are now divorced, were married when they co-founded Flickr, which was later sold to Yahoo. Stewart Butterfield, who founded Slack and saw it acquired by Salesforce, has since remarried. Caterina Fake is currently in a relationship with Jaiku co-founder Jyri Engestrom.