A former reality television star has been charged with murdering his cellmate only days before he was due for release.

Investigators say that Chad Aaron Ollinger, 41, had some altercation with the unnamed fellow prisoner on December 26 before guards found the inmate lying motionless.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said in a statement that they entered the cell and “observed the inmate was suffering from apparent blunt force injuries”.

Ollinger was immediately taken into custody while officers “immediately rendered aid to the victim and requested CCDC medical personnel to respond”.

“Unfortunately, he was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the police statement said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide detectives were also notified and responded.

“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,” the statement said.

Ollinger is originally from Dumas and the son of Duane Ollinger, an oil and gas entrepreneur who owns the Blind Frog Ranch in eastern Utah.

He found fame on the Discovery Channel’s “Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch” in March this year, where he used “every tool to hunt for a secret treasure, from gold finders to gold detectors,” according to an episode description on YouTube.

The first of Ollinger’s arrests occurred in November 2024, according to NewsChannel10 KFDA, when he evaded police arrest by fleeing on a motorcycle and on foot. The charge was filed in Potter County, and a grand jury indicted him in January.

Ollinger was also charged with driving while his license was invalid in February.

By July, Ollinger’s family reported him missing in New Mexico, and he was entered into the National Crime Information Center as a missing person.

He was found a short time later in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Jail records from Clark County show that Ollinger was arrested on October 27 and booked into the Las Vegas jail for contempt of court. He was sentenced on December 18, and records show he was scheduled for release on January 12, 2026.

Ollinger’s next hearing is set for December 20, and he is currently held without bond.