Reality TV star facing murder charge deemed incompetent

LAS VEGAS (CN) — A Las Vegas judge on Wednesday determined that a reality TV star facing a murder charge was legally incompetent, ordering he undergo treatment at a mental health facility.

Chad Ollinger, 41, appeared remotely on camera before Eighth District Judge Christy Craig. Ensuring Ollinger could hear her, Craig said that two doctors had determined Ollinger was incompetent while a third had found him competent.

That led her to declare Ollinger incompetent and order him to visit a local mental health facility, where medical professionals will work toward restoring his competency.

“I will see you when you get back from the hospital,” Craig said, concluding the hearing in about a minute. No timeline was given as to when Ollinger might return.

Ollinger rose to fame on the Discovery Channel show “Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch,” which ran for five seasons between 2021 and 2025. The show followed him and his father in their search for treasure on their Utah property.

A series of brushes with the law put Ollinger behind bars in Las Vegas in October. On Dec. 26, authorities said they found an inmate lying motionless in a cell with Ollinger. Suffering from blunt force injuries, the inmate was pronounced dead at the scene and Ollinger was charged with open murder.

Police said their investigation showed that a physical altercation occurred between Ollinger and the other inmate, Christopher Kelly.

The open-murder charge provides latitude if a judge or jury convicts, ranging from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter.

According to media reports, Ollinger told authorities he had a supernatural power to know information about people. Also, Ollinger said prior trauma led him to have memory loss, and that he couldn’t remember recent memories.

Charged with murder, Ollinger appeared Dec. 30 before a judge. An attorney at that hearing requested a competency evaluation, which led to Wednesday’s hearing and Craig’s order to send Ollinger to a mental health facility.

Nevada law calls for criminal proceedings to halt if there’s a question about a defendant’s competency. At the mental health facility, staff will treat and evaluate Ollinger, giving updates to the judge about his competency.

Treatment includes a legal process class that takes six weeks. People take the class until they pass.

Requirements to achieve a determination of competency include that the defendant understands the offense he faces and has the ability to aid his attorney.

Ollinger remained held Wednesday without bond.

The reality TV show that brought Ollinger and his father fame focused on their quest for a supposed massive fortune somewhere on their 160-acre Blind Frog Ranch in Utah’s Uinta Basin. During their search, they ran into stumbling blocks, with at times seeming like the land itself sought to stymie them.

In the most recent season, the father-and-son duo and their team found evidence of Aztec artifacts in an underwater tunnel, along with a strange tablet inside a cave.

Their troubles grew over the season with what the Discovery Channel called the revelation of radioactivity, odd trespassers and hidden government operations.

The Clark County District Attorney’s Office told Courthouse News that it was preparing a statement about the case. Ollinger’s public defender couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.