Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch star Chad Ollinger is now facing an open murder charge following the death of his cellmate.
The 41-year-old’s cellmate was found dead in their shared living space after the two allegedly got into a physical altercation, according to a press release by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Office of Public Information.
The male inmate was found ‘lying motionless inside of a cell’ by corrections officers doing their routine checks at approximately 11:20PM on December 26, according to the release.
The alleged incident took place at Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The officers entered the cell and ‘observed the inmate was suffering from apparent blunt force injuries.’ Ollinger, his cellmate, was then taken into custody.
The victim was promptly given aid by officers, who also called for response from CCDC medical personnel.
Chad Ollinger, who stars on the Discovery Channel show Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, is now facing an open murder charge following the death of his cellmate; pictured in a Facebook photo
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives with the LVMPD Homicide were then alerted and responded and conducted an investigation which found that Olllinger and his cellmate allegedly got into a physical altercation inside their cell.
Ollinger has been ‘rebooked for Open Murder’, the news release states.
The LVMPD Homicide Section is leading the investigation, which remains ongoing.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Clark County Detention Center and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for more information but have not yet heard back.
Inmate records indicate that Ollinger was arrested in October 27 as a fugitive from another state. He is also facing a contempt of court charge.
Ollinger has made other run-ins with the law prior to this latest allegation.
Last year he was taken into custody for evading arrest/detention with a vehicle and evading arrest/detention on foot, according to TMZ. He later posted bond and was subsequently released, the website reports.
Since 2021, the Discovery Channel show Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch has been following Chad Ollinger and his father Duane as they continue their quest to unearth a long-rumored treasure hidden on their 160-acre property in Utah’s Uinta Basin.
Ollinger, pictured, has been starring on Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch since 2021
For over a decade, the father-son duo and their team have been digging through the property, convinced it hides an ancient Aztec fortune worth millions.
Duane has called his son as someone who ‘doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him,’ according to the younger Ollinger’s bio on the Discovery website.
‘Chad Ollinger is the son of Blind Frog Ranch owner, Duane Ollinger,’ the bio reads. ‘He is married with four children and sold his crop-dusting business and family home to help fund this year’s operation.
‘Duane describes his son by saying “he doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him,” and if someone needs to SCUBA dive into an unknown cavern system 50 feet beneath the ground, it’s going to be Chad.’
Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch follows Duane Ollinger (Chad’s father) hunting for hidden gold on his property; pictured Chad with his father Duane
Ahead of Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch Season 4, Chad opened up to TV Insider about the life-threatening risks involved in the team’s treasure-hunting adventures.
‘I don’t want to push it too far where I die,’ he said, acknowledging the dangers of their pursuits, during a 2024 interview. ‘Though without risk there is no reward. I’m definitely going to keep pushing and putting myself in hairy situations, which you will see this season.’
He recalled one particularly tense moment, sharing, ‘We were in a cave one time and it got really scary really fast and we had to get out of there. That was a close call.’
