Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch star arrested after his cellmate died in jail
He's been in prison since October after being detained as a fugitive from another state
Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch star Chad Ollinger, a familiar face from the Discovery Channel’s hit show about gold mining, is now at the centre of a very serious real-life mystery of his own.
Instead of searching Nevada’s wilderness, police are digging into what happened behind the walls of a Las Vegas jail.
It’s shocking, tragic, and unfolding fast, so let’s break down exactly what’s alleged, what’s confirmed, and how this reality TV personality went from reality star to facing an open murder charge…
Chad is facing alleged murder charges
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According to law enforcement officials, Chad Aaron Ollinger, 41, has been re-booked on an open murder charge after his cellmate was found dead inside their shared cell at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, per TMZ.
Corrections officers discovered the other inmate “lying motionless” during a routine check, with apparent blunt force injuries, police said and despite medical efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section say evidence suggests a physical altercation occurred between Ollinger and the victim inside the cell, leading to the fatal injuries. That’s now the basis for the murder charge, and the probe remains ongoing, according to People.
At this time, authorities have not released the victim’s identity or official cause of death.
Charges against Chad are pending as the investigation continues, per the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
He went to jail for something different
What makes this case even more unsettling is that Ollinger wasn’t initially behind bars for anything remotely related to violence.
He had been incarcerated on unrelated charges tied to earlier legal issues, including a warrant connected to a contempt of court case.
In other words, this deadly situation unfolded while he was already serving time for something entirely different.
Before all of this, Ollinger was best known as part of the rugged, sometimes controversial cast on Discovery Channel’s Mystery At Bling Frog Ranch.
The show follows high-risk treasure hunting at Blind Frog Ranch in Utah and leans heavily into mystery, danger, and family tension.
His legal troubles didn’t start with this incident. Over the past year, he had faced multiple arrests connected to traffic violations and evading law enforcement, which ultimately led to his incarceration in Las Vegas.
None of those earlier charges involved accusations of violent crime, per People.
“Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned a physical altercation occurred between the victim and Ollinger inside of the cell. Ollinger was rebooked for Open Murder. This investigation is ongoing and led by the LVMPD Homicide Section.”
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