'Breaking Bad' teacher-turned-druglord gets obituary in Albuquerque newspaper

By Laila Kearney (Reuters) - Fans mourning the loss of the gritty drug drama "Breaking Bad" and its main character, chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White, memorialized the fictitious druglord on Friday with a real obituary in an Albuquerque newspaper. Members of the Facebook page "Unofficial Breaking Bad Fan Tour" and local high school science teacher David Layman, who appeared as an extra in the show's pilot, purchased advertising space for the 87-word tribute in the Albuquerque Journal, the newspaper reported. "White, Walter aka 'Heisenberg,' 52, of Albuquerque, died Sunday after a long battle with lung cancer, and a gunshot wound," read the ad, which ran on page A4 on Friday. "He will be greatly missed." The ad also urged readers to donate to drug abuse prevention programs. "Putting the obit in the paper was fitting, because the series was based in Albuquerque and it provides some of us some closure," Layman told the paper. The AMC drama, which concluded on Sunday, chronicled the transformation of White from a high school teacher scrambling to secure his family's finances after a terminal cancer diagnosis to the commander of an illegal methamphetamine empire. It won best drama series for its fifth season at the Emmy awards last month. Sunday's 75-minute finale showed White, played by Bryan Cranston, tie up the loose ends of his crumbling drug empire and die just as the police finally catch up with him. The conclusion drew 10.3 million viewers, the show's biggest audience for any single episode of its five seasons. (Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Doina Chiacu)