On a late summer evening in Baxley, Georgia, the life of 54-year-old Freddie Joe King, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. On August 13, 2017, at approximately 11:03 PM, the sound of gunfire shattered the peace at a Clay Homes apartment complex. When officers from the Baxley Police Department and the Appling County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene, they discovered a grim tableau. King, along with two other individuals, had been shot.
Despite efforts to save him, King succumbed to his injuries shortly after the incident. The two other victims, identified as 60-year-old Evelyn McCal Williams and 45-year-old Shawn Mobley, were treated for their injuries and later transferred to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to an altercation that had taken place at the apartment. Authorities identified 52-year-old Rodney Mobley of Baxley as the shooter. It was revealed that Mobley had confronted the tenant of the apartment and her guests, which included Freddie Joe King. During this confrontation, Mobley allegedly discharged a small-caliber firearm several times, striking all three victims. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist with processing the crime scene and collecting evidence to build a case against the perpetrator.
Following the shooting, a search for Rodney Mobley was initiated. He was apprehended a short time later by officers from the Appling County Sheriff's Office. Mobley was subsequently charged with a litany of offenses, including one count of murder for the death of Freddie Joe King. Additionally, he faced charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and three counts of aggravated assault. The legal proceedings against Rodney Mobley are pending, as the community of Baxley awaits justice for the violent death of one of its own.
