Two Bodies Found in Oklahoma City Believed to Be Suspect Lester Hobbs and 7-Year-Old Aja Johnson

7-Year-Old Aja Johnson was kidnapped by her step-father, Lester Hobbs, more than two months ago, and Monday two bodies were found when the police responded to a call about an abandoned car that matched the description of Hobbs' car. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswomen Jessica Brown said, "We have no reason to believe it's not those two people."

The bodies found are said to be in an advanced decomposition state; investigators think the car could have been at the scene for at least a month. Dental records will be used to identify child's body which is believed to be 7-year-old Aja Johnson, and fingerprints to identify the adult body believed to be her kidnapper Lester Hobbs. Cause of death has not been determined. It appears to have been a murder-suicide. There were no weapons in the car, however there may have been a suicide note.

In late January the girls mother, Tonya Hobbs, was found dead inside of her estranged husbands' [Lester Hobbs] motor home. Police believe that Hobbs beat Tonya Hobbs to death with a hammer or other object then kidnapped 7-year-old Aja. Tanya was murdered Saturday, but because the body of Tonya Hobbs was not found until Sunday Lester Hobbs had a head-start disappearing with the girl.

Tonya Hobbs has a second daughter who is older than Aja, but that child was not with her mother, sister and Hobbs on the night of Tonya's murder. It is speculated that little Aja may have witnessed the horrible death of her mother, and that Hobbs had a strong disliking for the 7-year-old girl; who may have been Bipolar, and suffered from ADD.

There have been reports that there was a history of domestic violence. Lester Hobbs has a criminal history of violence, and his records include DUI's; he was an alcoholic. Reports say that Tanya Hobbs had filed for a restraining order, however it has not been confirmed whether or not an RO was in effect at the time of her murder. Saturday, the same day Tanya was beat to death she was seen holding hands with Lester Hobbs at a Wal-Mart.

Why Tanya Hobbs decided to return to the trailer with her estranged husband will remain a mystery. We will never know if she was threatened, manipulated, or went willingly. In many domestic violence cases the victim usually falls for their abusers apologies, and promises to never do it again. It is a dangerous cycle that only gets worse with each episode of violence, and many a violent and abusive men will take out their anger and rage on their victims children.

It is a shame how women keep putting their children in danger by returning to men who have abused them. Abused women often suffer from low self-esteem, and are dependent on the men who have abused them. Too many children end up dead, abused, or neglected because their mother ends up going back to their abuser.

Perhaps, stricter laws are needed to keep women from taking innocent children with them if they choose to return to their abusers. If a mother is incapable of making the right decision then maybe there needs to be laws to force them to do so. Women who want to have relationships with men that have criminal records, a history of violence, or that have abused them should not be allowed to have custody of their children if they choose to be with these men.

Children like 7-year-old Aja Johnson, and 4-year-old Marc Anthony Bookal may still be alive today if the laws were different. The legal system should not be responsible for parenting children, however when there is violence involved maybe the system, family, and communities have to become more actively involved in protecting innocent children.

Men like Corey Byrd and Lester Hobbs should not be allowed around children, and mothers like Tanya Hobbs and Christina Bookal have to stop believing that these violent and abusive men will not hurt their kids.