Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., the founder of the provocative Westboro Baptist Church, died Thursday at 84, the Associated Press reports.
Phelps’ daughter, Margie Phelps, confirmed he died early Thursday morning but did not provide a cause of death, according to the AP. A Westboro spokesman told the AP Sunday that Phelps had been moved to a care facility in Shawnee County, Kan.
The Westboro Baptist Church, which is primarily made up of Phelps’s extended family members, became notorious for holding protests outside U.S. soldiers’ funerals, claiming the deaths were punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.
The demonstrations prompted a suite demanding compensation for the pain inflicted on grieving families. The Supreme Court ultimately rejected that suit, upholding the group’s right to picket funerals.
[AP]
- TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2022
- Employers Take Note: Young Workers Are Seeking Jobs with a Higher Purpose
- Signs Are Pointing to a Slowdown in the Housing Market—At Last
- Welcome to the Era of Unapologetic Bad Taste
- As the Virus Evolves, COVID-19 Reinfections Are Going to Keep Happening
- A New York Mosque Becomes a Refuge for Afghan Teens Who Fled Without Their Families
- High Gas Prices are Oil Companies' Fault says Ro Khanna, and Democrats Should Go After Them
- Two Million Cases: COVID-19 May Finally Force North Korea to Open Up