VALDOSTA, Ga. — A man has pleaded guilty to three murders that left sibling correctional officers dead as they left for work and another man shot to death outside of a restaurant.

Anthony Ceasar has pleaded guilty to three murders that occurred in Lowndes and Brooks counties in 2014.

Southern District Attorney Brad Shealy said the 27-year-old pleaded guilty to the Aug. 22 shooting of Kenneth Johnson at Applebee’s on Inner Perimeter Road.

He was sentenced Wednesday by Southern Circuit Judge James E. Hardy to three consecutive life sentences to be served consecutively with a 17-year sentence he is already serving on drug charges.

In a statement, Shealy said Ceasar was staying with Johnson for a period of time. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the residence, leading to the discovery of a quantity of drugs. Both Johnson and Ceasar were charged in federal court for the drugs, Shealy said. 

Several months later, Ceasar learned Johnson planned to claim the drugs were not his but belonged to Ceasar, according to a report from the Southern District Attorney’s Office. Ceasar waited outside of Applebee’s off Inner Perimeter Road and fatally shot Johnson with a .40-caliber handgun, Shealy said. 

Witnesses were reportedly unable to identify the shooter, according to the DA’s report.

Prior to the shooting, Ceasar had been in a relationship with Anisa Mobley who, along with her brother, Wilbur Mobley, were employed as prison guards at Valdosta State Prison. During their relationship, Anisa Mobley had visited with Ceasar at Johnson’s residence, Shealy said. 

After one such visit and totally unrelated, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant that led to the discovery of drugs. Shortly after this, Anisa Mobley ended her relationship with Ceasar.

As a result of Anisa Mobley breaking her relationship with Ceasar and because he believed she set him up, he went to her residence on Azalea Avenue in Morven on Sept. 3, 2014. 

Shealy said Ceasar knew her work schedule, and around 5:30 a.m., he fatally shot both Anisa Mobley and Wilbur Mobley as they were leaving for work. They were shot with a .40-caliber weapon, according to the DA’s office.

Joint investigation by the Valdosta Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found the same gun was used in both incidents, according to the DA’s office. 

Ceasar’s work van was seen leaving the area of Applebee’s immediately after the shooting, Shealy said. Also, Ceasar had taken a vehicle from a previous employer and various business surveillance videos placed Ceasar in the area within 30 minutes after the shooting, according to the DA’s office.

“We are very happy with the outcome of these cases as are the Mobley and Johnson families,” Shealy said. “I thank the GBI and the Valdosta Police Department for their thorough and exhaustive investigation. I would also thank Chief Assistant District Attorney Tracy Chapman for the excellent job she did in prosecuting the case.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256