A former reality TV personality is facing charges for allegedly killing his cellmate just days ahead of his scheduled release, according to police reports.
Chad Aaron Olinger, known for his appearance on the Discovery Channel’s “Mystery at the Blind Frog Ranch,” has been charged with murder after prison guards at the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada found his cellmate unresponsive on Friday.
The identity of the deceased inmate has not been disclosed, but he reportedly had “obvious blunt force injuries” stemming from a fight in the cell. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, as stated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Olinger, aged 41, was immediately rebooked on suspicion of open murder, police confirmed.
He had been due for release on January 12.
Details surrounding the cause of the altercation remain unclear.
Olinger is the son of Duane Olinger, the owner of the Blind Frog Ranch in eastern Utah, where the duo sought hidden gold over five seasons of the show.
His legal troubles reportedly started in November 2024 when he was arrested for eluding police on a motorbike and subsequently on foot, as documented by local news sources.
Olinger, originally from Dumas, Texas, faced charges in January in Potter County and was arrested once more in February for driving with an invalid license in Gray County.
In July, Olinger’s family reported a missing person case in New Mexico, but he later resurfaced in Albuquerque.
He was arrested on October 27 in Clark County for contempt of court and taken to the Las Vegas Jail.
A judge gave him a brief sentence on December 18, with a new release date set for January 12, 2026, per prison records.
Currently, Olinger is being held without bail and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday regarding the new murder charges.
