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A Discovery Channel reality star is facing a murder charge following the death of his cellmate in a Las Vegas jail. 

‘Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch’ star Chad Ollinger accused of killing jail cellmate 

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Chad Ollinger, 41, who has appeared on multiple seasons of the Discovery series Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, has been in jail in Las Vegas since October on charges related to alleged contempt of court, Deadline reports.

On December 26, corrections officers discovered Ollinger’s cellmate Christopher Kelly “lying motionless inside of a cell” at the Clark County Detention Center. Officers entered the cell and “observed the inmate was suffering from apparent blunt force injuries,” according to a press release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Detectives say that Ollinger and Kelly got into a physical altercation prior to the latter’s death.

Ollinger has been booked on an open murder charge. His next hearing is scheduled for December 30. He had been sentenced in December on the contempt charge was originally scheduled for released in January 2026.  

Ollinger has faced a number of legal problems in recent years. He was arrested in November 2024 in Texas for evading arrest in a vehicle. He has also been charged for driving without a license. In October 2025, he was arrested in Nevada after being identified as a fugitive from another state. 

Chad Ollinger and his father search for treasure on the Discovery Channel series 

Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch premiered in 2021. It follows Chad Ollinger and his father, Duane Ollinger, as they search for lost Aztec gold in the remote 160-acre Blind Frog Ranch in Utah’s Uinta Basin. In the fifth season, which premiered in June 2025, the Ollingers discovered an underwater tunnel with remnants of ancient Aztec artifacts, Aztec stone markers dotting the landscape, a mysterious chiseled tablet buried deep inside a cave, and evidence of an archaic armory. They also encountered a deadly radioactive discovery, volatile elements, mysterious trespassers, and secret government operations, which threaten to put a stop to their treasure hunt.  

While the Ollingers have yet to find the massive treasure they’ve been seeking, Chad has vowed to keep searching until they turn up the artifacts they’re convinced are out there. 

“As long as we’re finding stuff that keeps us moving forward to the motherload, we’re going to keep going,” he told TV Insider in 2024. “I don’t think we’ll stop until we find this treasure.” 

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