Joe and his younger brother Samuel were both abducted by their non-custodial mother, Lisa Gray Tarkington. A photograph and vital statistics for Lisa are posted below this case summary. Lisa had been married to the children's father, Keith, for three and a half years when she took Joe and Samuel and left him on April 9, 1999. Keith sought a divorce and custody of the children and Lisa did not challenge his petitions, but Keith's custody order has not been enforced and he has not seen his sons since 1999.

Lisa's father, John Joe Gray, is a member of the Embassy of Heaven Church, an Oregon-based Christian sect that rejects government authority. A leader in the Texas Constitutional Militia, he was charged with two felonies in connection with a Christmas 1999 scuffle with police officers and afterwards barricaded himself and his family inside his 47-acre property on the banks of the Trinity River.

Lisa, Joe, and Samuel are believed to be living in the compound, but authorities are refused admittance there. No one has actually seen the children there since 1999, and there are rumors that they may have moved out of state with other relatives. Keith believes his children are in the compound and may be in danger.

The Tarkington children remain missing. They are believed to still be in Lisa's care.