‘American Pickers’ Star Frank Fritz’s Cause of Death Officially Confirmed

The former reality TV personality, who passed away on Monday, Sept. 30 at the age of 60, died of a stroke, new reports reveal.

According to Fritz’s death certificate, obtained by TMZ, the immediate cause of death for Fritz was listed as “late sequelae of cerebral infarction,” also known as a stroke.

The documents also note that the fatal stroke was caused by cerebral vascular disease, which affects blood flow and blood vessels in the brain.

Fritz, who left American Pickers in 2020 due to various issues, also suffered from aortic stenosis and COPD, which both played a role in his untimely death, according to the death certificate. Fritz had also suffered a stroke before, which he was hospitalized for back in 2022.

TMZ reports that Fritz died in a hospice facility in the Midwest, where he was surrounded by friends, including his longtime co-star Mike Wolfe.

Despite feuding with Fritz for a few years, the pair reunited in May 2023, and Wolfe spoke out on social media after Fritz’s death to memorialize his late friend.

“We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home,” Wolfe wrote in part at the time, along with a photo of the two of them. “I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know your in a better place.”

At the scene, officers located Kellie Barnett, 50, of New Lenox, with a gunshot wound to her torso. She was pronounced dead at St. Alexius Medical Center.

What is brain rot, and could you be experiencing it?

Barnett was staying in a spare bedroom and was shot in Garcia and his wife’s bedroom, court documents state.

He went on to tell responding officers that he kept the handgun in a holster on the side of his bed and that he forgot that Barnett was staying with them.

Garcia was ordered detained Friday and his next court date is scheduled for Jan. 17. If convicted, he faces three to 14 years in prison.