In the fall of 2023, the life of Fred 'Bubba' Copeland, a 49-year-old male, came to a tragic end. On November 3, 2023, Copeland, who served as the mayor of Smiths Station, Alabama, and was also a pastor at the First Baptist Church in Phenix City, died by suicide. His death followed the online publication of personal photos and writings.
In the days leading up to his death, a conservative news website published photographs of Copeland in which he was wearing women's clothing.
Copeland addressed this in his final sermon, stating the pictures were taken in the privacy of his home with his wife and were intended to be humorous. The same website later published another article alleging that he had written violent fantasy fiction and posted images of community members online without their consent. One of these stories reportedly described a transgender woman's deadly obsession with a local business owner, which the article claimed was based on real people. An acquaintance of Copeland's stated that he had posted her name and social media photos online and that she recognized the names of other local women in his alleged fictional stories.
On the day of his death, deputy sheriffs were attempting to conduct a welfare check on Copeland when they located him driving his vehicle. A slow pursuit ensued. After pulling over in Beulah, an unincorporated community in Lee County, Copeland exited his truck and used a handgun to take his own life. The Lee County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. In the wake of his passing, political leaders and community members expressed their sorrow and condemned the online targeting that preceded the tragedy.
