A Mississippi sheriff sought Thursday to dispel Internet reports that members of Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church showed up in his county this past weekend to protest at the funeral of a serviceman killed in Afghanistan.

Rankin County, Miss., Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said although Westboro Baptist members indicated in advance that they intended to protest at the funeral, none of them came to his county.

Accounts posted recently on several Web blogs said Rankin County residents foiled attempts by members of Pastor Fred W. Phelps Sr.’s congregation to leave their hotel to protest at Saturday’s funeral in Brandon, Miss., of Marine Staff Sgt. Jason A. Rogers, 28, who was killed in action April 7 in Afghanistan.

The reports said trucks were used to block cars with Kansas license plates from leaving their hotel, and that wreckers were unavailable to move the blocking vehicles. Another report said a Westboro Baptist member was beaten, but that police could obtain no details from a crowd of onlookers.

The blogs said church members who made it to the funeral were ushered away by police to be questioned about a crime, then released after it was determined they weren't involved.

Sources at the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger, the newspaper in the media market closest to Brandon, said the newspaper had made numerous attempts to verify the story, but could find no confirmation that it ever happened.