Dimebag Darrell was shot dead on stage with no will; his girlfriend of two decades was left out, later took over his estate's trust, and lost most of its suit against Dean Guitars in 2026

Darrell Abbott was shot on stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus during a Damageplan show. He left no will. In February 2005 his family filed probate papers in Tarrant County, Texas, asking that his brother, Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, be named administrator. The filing put the estate at about $700,000: a $450,000 home and $250,000 in personal property, with copyrights unvalued. It asked that the estate be split equally between Vinnie Paul and their father, Jerry Abbott. Rita Haney, his girlfriend, was not named as a beneficiary, although court papers gave her address as his home. His business manager said, "Rita's going to be provided for." Vinnie Paul died in 2018. By 2021 Haney oversaw the trust that runs the estate, In Dime We Trust; how she came to hold that role is not stated in the filings reported. On 16 August 2021 she ended the estate's endorsement deal with Dean Guitars and sued its parent, Armadillo Distribution Enterprises, alleging breach of contract, fraud and accounting irregularities, and alleging the company pressured Vinnie Paul and Jerry Abbott into cutting what it owed. Dean's CEO called the claims baseless. On 24 April 2026 the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida granted Armadillo summary judgment on 11 of 13 counts and found it owns the Razorback and Stealth designs. Two counts, over the "Dean from Hell" artwork and false endorsement, were pending in 2026.