Storage Wars star Darrell Sheets was experiencing significant mental health challenges, including insomnia and distress over cyberbullying, in the weeks leading up to his April 22, 2026, suicide, according to a police report from the Lake Havasu City Police Department. The report, which reviewed Sheets' phone records and a suicide note, concluded the death was a suicide with no other contributing factors.
Text messages reviewed by police indicated Sheets, 67, was dealing with severe insomnia. In one message in March, he sent an image of ZZZQuil sleep medication with the caption, "Bro, I need sleep so bad." He also mentioned quitting a medication cold turkey, stating, "I knew I had to quit or it would of been a bigger problem. Still doing the paranoid … thing but I'm working on it very hard. It's a process, and I'm trying to free up my life of stuff again. Another slow process."
Sheets' girlfriend, who reported his death, told authorities that he had been "frustrated" by a "lack of sleep" and family troubles. She stated he had not previously threatened suicide. She reported hearing a gunshot after Sheets told her to "go back to bed."
A suicide note left by Sheets referenced cyberbullying. "I could not take anymore the Facebook bullying, f*** you [redacted]," the note read. Prosecutors have declined to file charges related to the alleged bullying, as Sheets' death prevented him from providing further information to support his claims.
First responders arriving at the scene found Sheets deceased in his home office with the firearm still in his hand. They noted caution due to potential rigor mortis affecting the trigger finger.
Sheets, who appeared in 163 episodes of Storage Wars from 2010 to 2023, had been open about past struggles with depression. In a June 2018 Instagram post, he described depression as "the Devil's way of attacking us" and a "24/7 battle" that can lead to suicide. He encouraged kindness and understanding for those experiencing depression.
Sheets also suffered a heart attack in 2019 and later ran a shop called Havasu Show Me Your Junk in Arizona. He was known for his business acumen, with the show's website noting his success in finding valuable items at storage auctions.