In another long-form fictional story posted under his pseudonym, Brittini Blaire, the narrator becomes obsessed with a real-life local business owner, who he ultimately murders to assume her identity.
The story goes into detail about the steps he takes to ‘transition’ and completely change his body to match the one of a real-life local woman living in his town.
He explains in the story that ‘her life had become his obsession’ and that calling him a ‘stalker would be an understatement’ .
The story details the narrator installing tracking malware to spy on the lady and track her purchases, movements and mannerisms.
The narrator also begins a hormone treatment regimen, buying similar clothes and training in the woman’s profession to assume her identity.
The narrator also explains how he carefully began to insert himself as the unidentified lady into her friend group and goes into graphic detail on how he seduces her husband, a feat he calls ‘passing the ultimate test’.
‘This life is all I have ever wanted, and finally, it was all mine!’ the author writes.
Ultimately, the story delves deep into the narrator’s elaborate plan on how to kill the woman and permanently take her place in society.
The lady and her real-life business are repeatedly named in the story. In an interview with 1819 News, she said she was unaware of the story’s existence and was close to Copeland’s family.
After Copeland’s dual identity was revealed last week, the father-of-three told congregants he was the subject of an ‘internet attack’.
‘The article is not who or what I am […] ‘I apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private and personal life that has become public. This will not cause my life to change. This will not waiver my devotion to my family, serving my city, serving my church,’ Copeland said.
Copeland shot himself with a handgun following a slow pursuit by police after they were called to conduct a welfare check.
The First Baptist Church of Phenix City has been in mourning ever since, changing its profile picture on Facebook to a black ribbon.
Images posted by 1819 showed Copeland dressed up in women’s clothing and makeup.
The website also claimed that Copeland had posted photos of minors on Reddit as part of memes about transitioning.
In one, images of a local brother and sister were used to make it appear as through the boy had transitioned, the outlet reports.
During a sermon on Wednesday prior to his death, Copeland apologized to his flock and told them his wife was aware of his activity.
‘Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt at humor because I know I’m not a handsome man or a beautiful woman either,’ Copeland said.
The Southern Baptist Convention, which is reportedly no longer affiliated with Copeland’s parish, said it had received allegations of ‘unbiblical behavior’.
However the Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, of which Copeland’s church is a member, stated the matter was ‘between pastor and church’.
Attitudes towards LGBTQ issues within Baptism differ, but many do push a conservative agenda.
However Copeland does not appear to have ever publicly espoused anti LGBTQ or right wing conservative views.
Hemant Mehta, writes religion blog Friendly Atheist, reiterated this fact and questioned why the initial piece had ever run if ‘there’s no proof of hypocrisy’.
Copeland was known as a pillar of the local community and met with President Trump in 2019, who commended him over handling of a devastating tornado that ripped through the town.
Following his death, Church member Dan Elkins said he had been forced to remove hateful comments on its Facebook page for the past three days.
‘He was far from perfect – but he was my pastor, my friend and my brother. And in the midst of my anger about this whole situation – tonight my heart is just absolutely broken,’ he said.
‘By no means am I disregarding/discounting accountability – but it must be dispensed with love and care, not scorn and judgment.’