The death of Darrell Sheets, a star of the long-running reality series "Storage Wars," was ruled a suicide as authorities continue to probe allegations that he was cyberbullied.
The Lake Havasu City Police Department, in Arizona, said in a release Wednesday that it had gotten confirmation from the Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office that Sheets had died by suicide, pending the results of toxicology tests.
Sheets, 67, was found dead at his Arizona home on April 22. When officers arrived at the house, they found a "male subject who suffered from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," police said at the time.
Police are looking into "allegations of cyberbullying" in relation to Sheets' case, they said. His phone has been submitted for forensic analysis.
Sheets’ co-star and rival on “Storage Wars,” Rene Nezhoda, urged police to look into the alleged cyberbullying shortly after the death.
“He had a guy really, really tormenting him lately with cyberbullying,” Nezhoda said in an Instagram video last week while paying tribute to Sheets.
“You shouldn’t cyberbully at all,” he said. “Because you never know what demons somebody faces and what they go through and what you might push them through.”
“Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that’s been cyberbullying him and tormenting him,” Nezhoda said. “I really hope they look into the that guy and it’s not just going to pass.”
Sheets, who was from California, made a name for himself on the hit reality series "Storage Wars" since its 2010 debut. On the show, he was known as "the gambler" for his ventures into risky auction bids.
"Storage Wars" follows teams of bidders who are on the hunt for abandoned and repurposed storage units that might hold items of value. The show is still airing and is in its 17th season.
According to Sheets' bio on A&E — the network that airs the show — he was once known for pursuing the "big hit," accumulating four Picasso pieces over the years at storage auctions. But he eventually moved away from collecting, the bio said, finding greater pride in the adventure itself.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
