Darrell Sheets’s cause of death has been revealed two weeks after authorities found the Storage Wars star dead at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
Nicknamed “The Gambler,” Sheets — who died aged 67 — appeared in dozens of episodes over 15 seasons of the A+E Networks reality show and was known for his catchphrase: “This is the wow factor!”
On Tuesday, the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to multiple outlets that Sheets died by suicide.
The Lake Havasu City Police Department subsequently released a statement adding that it was notified of Sheets’ death being “ruled a suicide, pending the completion of toxicology results.” The agency “continues to actively investigate allegations of cyberbullying associated with this case,” the statement added, according to USA Today.
“The Criminal Investigations Unit has submitted Darrell Sheets’ cellular phone for forensic analysis and is currently awaiting the results,” according to the statement. “This investigative step is essential to advancing the case. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
The day of Sheets’s death, his Storage Wars co-star René Nezhoda claimed that Sheets had faced intense cyberbullying before his death.
“Rest in peace Darrell Sheets. Also I know Darrell would want something positive out of this, so he had a guy that [was] really really tormenting him lately. Cyberbullying,” he said in a video shared to Instagram.
Anyone with information about the cyberbullying has been urged to call Lake Havasu City police at 928-855-1171.
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“Guys, just because you watch us on television, doesn’t mean you know us,” Nezhoda continued in his April 22 video. “It doesn’t mean you know what we’re about. Also, it doesn’t entitle you to bully somebody. That’s not [just] us, that’s anybody. That’s any athlete. You shouldn’t cyberbully at all.
“… You never know what demons somebody faces and what they go through and what you might push them through,” he concluded. “Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that has been cyberbullying and torturing him and I really hope they look into that guy and that’s just not a pass. It’s just not right, guys. Be better.”
Sheets was born on May 13, 1958, and spent over 30 years in the storage hunting business.
He appeared in the first season of Storage Wars in 2010 and remained a key member of the cast until 2023. The series was filmed in California, where storage lockers can be auctioned off if the rent is not paid for 36 days. The show follows professional buyers who purchase lockers in the hope of turning a profit.
Sheets suffered a heart attack in 2019 and retired to Arizona, where he ran an antique store called Show Me Your Junk.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
