Reality TV Star Accused of Murdering Cellmate

A Utah-based reality television personality is accused of killing another inmate while being held at a Las Vegas jail.

Police say Chad Ollinger, 41, a cast member on the Discovery Channel series Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, was arrested on Oct. 27 on a fugitive warrant and a contempt of court charge, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Late Friday, during a routine inspection at the Clark County Detention Center, corrections officers reportedly found Ollinger’s cellmate unresponsive inside their shared cell. Authorities said the man showed signs of blunt force trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said homicide detectives determined that a physical altercation took place between Ollinger and the victim inside the cell. Officials have not disclosed further details about the incident, including a possible motive or how long the two men had been housed together.

Ollinger had been scheduled for release on Jan. 12, according to KFDA. He was expected to make an initial appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on Sunday, but court records indicate he was not transported due to disruptive behavior, the Review-Journal reported. That hearing has been rescheduled for Tuesday.

Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, which follows Ollinger and his father, Duane, as they search for gold and alleged Aztec artifacts on their property in northeastern Utah, aired its fifth season finale in August.

original source