A FORMER Discovery Channel star has reportedly confessed to strangling his cellmate after a “higher power” told him to do so.
Chad Ollinger, 41, is accused of murdering fellow inmate Christopher Kelly at the Clark County Detention Center in Nevada.
Authorities say Ollinger admitted to the killing, claiming it was “righteous” because he believed Kelly was a paedophile.
He said this belief came from a supernatural ability to read people’s minds.
Correctional officers discovered Kelly “lying motionless inside a cell” during routine checks on Friday night.
He had suffered multiple injuries and was given first aid, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
An arrest report noted there was blood splattered all over the walls of the cell.
According to police, Ollinger told investigators he possessed a special power that allowed him to know things about others that most people could not.
He claimed he needed no proof of Kelly’s alleged crimes because he could “see into his mind.”
Ollinger allegedly told detectives in interview: “Good luck cracking the case.”
Police reports say Ollinger climbed onto Kelly’s bunk, restraining him in a chokehold while he lay facing the wall, and holding him until he stopped breathing.
He then allegedly dragged Kelly down and struck his head against the metal bedframe to ensure he was dead.
Investigators say Ollinger expressed no remorse and claimed he did not care if he spent the rest of his life in prison.
Ollinger has since been rebooked on a murder charge and appeared before a judge, who ordered a mental health evaluation before the case can proceed.
The accused previously appeared on several episodes of Discovery Channel’s Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch.
This follows Ollinger and his father, Duane, as they search for a long-rumoured Aztec treasure on their 160-acre property in Utah’s Uinta Basin.
The pair have spent more than a decade excavating the land, convinced it holds a fortune worth millions.
Jail records show Ollinger was arrested on October 27 as a fugitive from another state.
He is also facing a contempt of court charge.
He has had prior run-ins with law enforcement, including an arrest last year for avoiding police before later posting bond.
It remains unclear why his cellmate was being held at the detention centre.
The LVMPD Homicide Section is currently leading the investigation, which is ongoing.