Darrell Sheets may have been battling inner demons for years before his tragic death.
“Depression is the devil’s way of attacking us, and it shows no mercy. It takes away our smiles, comes and goes, destroys our relationships, robs us of our happiness, leads us to suicide in some cases, and destroys all positive thoughts. It’s a 24/7 battle and we never rest in our suffering,” the reality star wrote in an Instagram post dated June 21, 2018.
“So next time someone tells you they have depression, be kind and know that they are struggling to breathe every minute!!!” he continued.
The “Storage Wars” star ended a nearly 10-year streak of social media posts. The post featured a selfie of herself wearing sunglasses and appearing to be on a boat, with the ominous hashtag #trustmeiknow.
Sheets was found dead on April 22 at her home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He passed away at the age of 67.
Sheets, who suffered a heart attack in 2019, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to a press release from the Lake Havasu Police Department.
Officials said Sheets was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was turned over to the Mohave County Coroner’s Office for “further investigation.”
Two of Sheets’ “Storage Wars” co-stars, Dave Hester and Rene Nezoda, addressed claims that their former castmate was cyberbullied in the period leading up to his suicide.
“He’s been having trouble lately with a guy who’s been really, really tormenting him and cyberbullying (him),” Nejoda said in an Instagram video Wednesday, shortly after news of Sheets’ tragic death broke.
“Darrell has posted a lot about a man who was cyberbullying and tormenting him. I sincerely hope (law enforcement) investigates that man, but that’s not a free pass,” he added.
Nejoda reminded fans that “just because you see us on TV doesn’t mean you know us” and that “you never know what demons someone will face and what they will go through.”
Hester said in his Instagram video that he is aware of “some cyberbullying stuff” related to the spreadsheet.
“I have that stuff turned off, so I don’t even know how it exists,” he said. “But I do know that it’s out there, and I hope that if it’s happening or does happen, it’s addressed the way it should be.”
Sergeant Kyle Ridgway, public information officer for the Lake Havasu, Arizona, Police Department, told Page Six on Wednesday that he was “aware of the allegations of cyberbullying.”
Ridgway also acknowledged that these claims were “part of an active investigation” into Sheets’ death.
Sheets appeared in 163 episodes of “Storage Wars” from 2010 to 2023, often co-starring with his son Brandon. Together they earned the nicknames “Gambler” and “Sidebet”.
After appearing on the A&E show, Sheets retired to Arizona.
At the time of his death, he was running the antique shop Havasu Show Me Your Junk.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
