On Friday, November 15th, two college chemistry professors from Henderson State University in Arkansas, were taken into custody by the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. Terry Bateman, 45, and Bradley Rowland, 40, are now reportedly facing charges for manufacturing methamphetamine and the use of drug paraphernalia. 

Tina Hall, the University’s associate vice president of marketing and communications revealed in a statement that the college’s science center was closed on October 8th due to a report of a chemical odor in the building. The odor was proven to be a result of a chemical spill in a lab. Chemistry professors Bateman and Rowland became subjects of investigation by the Henderson State University police after multiple students suspected that meth may be involved in the spill. 

After performing tests on the contents of the spill and the air in the lab, an elevated presence of benzoyl chloride was discovered. According to Stephen J. Madison, a chemistry faculty member at Quinnipiac University, benzoyl chloride can be used for harmless necessities like dyes and pharmaceutical products, but it can also be used as a cheap ingredient to create methamphetamine along with other drugs. 

As a result, Bateman and Rowland were put on administrative leave three days after the reported spill. The building reopened on October 29th, after adding air filtering systems into the building. Multiple windows were also removed to increase ventilation. 

Ebuka Okeke, sophomore at Henderson State University says, “I heard rumors about it and thought it might be true, but now that they actually got arrested I’m like wow, that’s something else.” Once a formal charging decision has been made by the prosecutor, Bateman and Rowland are expected to appear in the Clark County District Court, says the sheriff’s department. The investigation is still pending. 

What makes this story so interesting and increasingly popular, is the similarities between the case and the famous AMC drama, Breaking Bad. The show told the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry professor, who turned to manufacturing crystal meth to secure his family’s financial future after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. While there has been no information saying both Bateman and Rowland have lung cancer, the premise of the show is eerily similar to the case at hand.