Westboro Tweets Picket of Easley Soldier's Funeral

While the picket of an Upstate soldier's funeral doesn't appear on a nationally-recognized hate group's schedule, plans to do so were announced via Twitter by a leader of the group.

Around 12:50 p.m. Friday, Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokesperson for Westboro Baptist Church and the daughter of the church's leader Fred Phelps, tweeted the following: "Westboro Funeral Pkt-ArmySgt.1st Class Matthew B.Thomas 7/1 @ 2:30 PM Rock Springs Baptist, Easley,SC."

Patch reported on Thursday evening that the Topeka, Kansas-based hate group, known for celebrating the deaths of American soldiers, had posted releases on its website detailing plans to "preach" at a "lawful proxmitiy" outside the funerals of and , both of Lexington. On Friday, a release with details regarding Thomas' funeral was also posted.

Thomas, Rawl and Meador were killed June 20 when a suicide bomber attacked their patrol in Afghanistan.

The in an email blast on Friday asked local businesses to consider posting a message to honor Thomas on business signs or marquees and to lower American flags to half staff Sunday.

This won't be the first time the controversial church has threatened to protest a funeral for a South Carolina soldier.

In January, the group threatened to protest the funeral of Upstate soldier PFC. Justin M. Whitmire.

Read the full obituaries for Thomas, and .

See also: 

• Easley Soldier's Funeral Will Be Sunday