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Missing teen of Slack co-founder, found in van with man, 26, now facing kidnapping charges

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Missing teen of Slack co-founder, found in van with man, 26, now facing kidnapping charges

Mint Butterfield, the missing child of Slack’s co-founder, was found in San Francisco Saturday night with an adult man a decade older who is now facing kidnapping charges.

The 16-year-old was found alongside Christopher “Kio” Dizefalo, 26, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office after the teen, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, disappeared from their Bolinas home last week.

Dizefalo, described by the sheriff as an “adult friend,” was arrested and booked at Marin County Jail on suspicion of child abduction and other violations, arrest records obtained by the San Francisco Standard. He was being held on $50,000 bail.

Mint Butterfield was last seen the night of April 21 in Bolinas and was reported missing by their mother the next morning.  Marin County Sheriff’s Office

The parking valet was found with Mint inside his white van on Eddy Street in the city’s notoriously dangerous Tenderloin District neighborhood, booking records said.

Mint — who was deemed “at-risk” due to previous threats of suicide — was uninjured. 

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They told detectives that they’d voluntarily run away from home in Bolinas and have since been reunited with their family.

Dizefalo, however, is suspected of coaxing the teen to run away, the Standard reported.

Mint’s parents, Stewart Butterfield — who co-founded the instant messaging app Slack before selling it to Salesforce in 2020 — and Caterina Fake — who co-founded the photo-sharing app Flickr, thanked investigators for bringing their child home.

Slack Technologies Inc. co-founder Stewart Butterfield. REUTERS
Cofounder of Hunch Caterina Fake attends the Wired business conference in partnership with MDC Partners at The Morgan Library & Museum on June 14, 2010, in New York City. Larry Busacca

“A heartfelt thanks to all the family, friends, volunteers and strangers who called in tips and made this recovery possible,” their parents and stepfather, fellow tech founder Jyri Engeström, said in an email to the Standard and other local outlets. “We especially want to thank the seasoned law enforcement officers who understand the very real threat of predators who use the allure of drugs to groom teenagers.”

Mint was last seen the night of April 21 in Bolinas and was reported missing by their mother the next morning. 

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The teen allegedly left a note indicating to their parents that they’d had the intention of running away before they were found with Dizefalo this week.

Authorities believed that Mint had been in the Tenderloin neighborhood because they were known to frequent the area before running away from home, police confirmed.

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Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

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Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

new video loaded: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

The first battle of the midterm elections will be the U.S. Senate primary in Texas. Our Texas bureau chief, David Goodman, explains why Democrats and Republicans across the U.S. are watching closely to see what happens in the state.

By J. David Goodman, Alexandra Ostasiewicz, June Kim and Luke Piotrowski

March 1, 2026

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Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

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Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

Gunfire rang out at a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday and at least three people were killed, the city’s police chief said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told reporters the shooter was killed by officers at the scene. 

Fourteen others were hospitalized and three were in critical condition, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said.

“We received a call at 1:39 a.m. and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz said.

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There was no initial word on the shooter’s identity or motive.

An Austin police officer guards the scene on West 6th Street at West Avenue after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Austin, Texas.

Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP


Davis noted how fortunate it was that there was a heavy police presence in Austin’s entertainment district at the time, enabling officers to respond quickly as bars were closing.

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“Officers immediately transitioned … and were faced with the individual with a gun,” Davis said. “Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

She called the shooting a “tragic, tragic” incident.

Texas Bar Shooting

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provides a briefing after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, near West Sixth Street and Nueces in downtown Austin, Texas.

Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP


Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said his heart goes out to the victims, and he praised the swift response of first responders.

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“They definitely saved lives,” he said.

Davis said federal law enforcement is aiding the investigation.

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A long-buried recording and the Supreme Court of old (CT+) : Consider This from NPR

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A long-buried recording and the Supreme Court of old (CT+) : Consider This from NPR
Recently, movie critic Bob Mondello brought us a story about how he found a 63-year-old recording of his father arguing a case before the Supreme Court. The next day, he bumped into Nina Totenberg, NPR’s legal affairs correspondent, in the newsroom. They were talking so animatedly that we ushered them into a studio to continue the conversation.To unlock this and other bonus content — and listen to every episode sponsor-free — sign up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org. Regular episodes haven’t changed and remain available every weekday.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
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