A newly released 911 call appears to shed further light on the alleged cyberbullying Darrell Sheets experienced before his death.
“I’m kind of, like, a celebrity on TV and for the last two months, I’ve had somebody threatening me and doing all this stuff,” Sheets said in an audio file released by the Lake Havasu Police Department and exclusively obtained by Us Weekly. “Tonight, they just sent me a demand ransom text stating that I had 24 hours to take care of it or they’re going to burn my shop down and they’re going to get my girlfriend in Orange County.”
In the 911 call, which did not include a date, Sheets claimed to know who the alleged stalker is and where they live.
“I tried to bear this for the last few months,” he told the operator. “But it’s really bad right now.”
Sheets gave a name for the alleged stalker in the 911 call. The operator told the caller that an officer would call him and ask for more details. It’s unclear what or how much ransom the alleged stalker wanted.
Us previously confirmed that the Storage Wars star had died in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on April 27. He was 67. The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Sheets’ cause of death was suicide.
Sheets, who was also known by his nickname “The Gambler,” appeared on 163 episodes of the A&E series between 2010 and 2023. He was a storage auction veteran who became known for his catchphrase, “This is the WOW factor!”
After exiting the show, he moved to Lake Havasu and opened an antique store called Havasu Show Me Your Junk.
In the weeks before his death, Sheets found himself confronting alleged cyberbullies.
“I have been hacked by a very evil person,” Sheets wrote via Facebook on March 9. “The clown. [The posts] are not done by me. They are being done by … very evil people. I’m not gay, I have made no posts about any children’s arcade owner, etc. I’m extremely sorry and sick over this.”
Sheets further claimed that the alleged bullies “ruined” him.
In a police report obtained by Us, Sheets’ apparent suicide note read, “I could not take anymore, the Facebook bullying.”
A celebration of life was held in honor of Sheets in Huntington Beach, California, on June 29. Many family members and costars were able to attend and pay tribute to their friend.
“It was nice seeing many of the OG cast and behind the scenes Storage Wars folks that have been there from the beginning at Darrel’s Celebration of Life yesterday!” cast member Dave Hester wrote via Facebook at the time. “YUUUP.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
