Lake Havasu City police have revealed that Darrell Sheets, star of the reality television show "Storage Wars," was experiencing significant mental health struggles in the weeks leading up to his death by suicide. A review of Sheets' cell phone indicated he was "struggling with numerous things" before he died at his Arizona home on April 22, 2026, according to a police report.
Authorities confirmed the case would be closed as a suicide, with no evidence suggesting otherwise. The medical examiner had ruled the cause of death as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sheets was 67 years old.
Text messages reviewed by police showed Sheets complaining of ongoing insomnia, including sending an image of sleep medication in March with the caption, "Bro, I need sleep so bad." He also stated he had quit a prescription medication "cold turkey," noting he was "still doing the paranoid … thing" but was working hard to manage it as "a process" to "free up my life of stuff again."
Sheets' girlfriend, who reported his death to authorities, stated in a 911 call that she heard a gun go off and believed he had killed himself. She indicated Sheets was in his home office while she was in the garage. She told the 911 operator that Sheets had not previously threatened suicide but had expressed frustration over a "lack of sleep" and family troubles, describing the situation as "terrible, terrible s***."
First responders at the scene noted Sheets still had the firearm in his hand when they discovered his body. They took precautions due to the potential for rigor mortis. One responder recognized Sheets from his television career, noting his role in "Storage Wars" alongside his son.
According to the incident report, Sheets left a suicide note that referenced cyberbullying. The note read, "I could not take anymore the Facebook bullying, f*** you [redacted]." Prosecutors declined to file charges related to the alleged bullying, citing the inability to gather further information from Sheets after his death.
Sheets appeared in 163 episodes of "Storage Wars" on A&E between 2010 and 2023. His biography on the show's website highlighted his business acumen and past auction successes. He had also run a shop called Havasu Show Me Your Junk in Arizona and had been open about past battles with depression, which he described in a 2018 Instagram post as "the Devil's way of attacking us" and a "24/7 battle."
For those seeking help, the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988 in the US. An online chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.