Maryland man found dead in homemade laboratory; Maryland police investigating

WASHINGTON - A 60-year-old man was found dead near a suspected drug lab, according to Maryland State Police. 

Bradley Ray Roberts of Washington County was pronounced dead at his residence in Smithsburg, Maryland, after police conducted a welfare check Thursday morning. Family members from out of the area reported they had not spoken with Roberts for several days and that he had been ill, according to police. 

Troopers found Roberts lying on the floor in front of what appeared to be a homemade laboratory with an excessive amount of unknown chemicals. Local task force agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration responded to the scene to assist. 

Foxville Road was closed to traffic for about six hours on Thursday due to the unknown chemicals. Once the chemicals inside the residence were tested and found not to be explosive, the roadway was reopened.   

First Call Environmental was called to the scene to remove the chemicals within the residence. 

Roberts' body was taken to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of his death.