GRAND FORKS, N.D. (trfnews.i234.me) — Vincent Chase Villarreal, 34, is set to stand trial this week in Grand Forks.
He is accused of fatally shooting his father, Jeffrey Allen Shulzitski, in 2020.
Villarreal faces a Class AA felony charge of murder with extreme indifference. If convicted, he could receive life in prison.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The trial is expected to continue through Friday, Oct. 16.
Death at Former Grand Forks Motel
Police responded at 2:19 p.m. Dec. 5, 2020, to the former Budget Inn Express.
The motel stood at 3400 Gateway Drive and has since been razed.
Officers found Shulzitski dead in room 189. Investigators also noted a broken glass window and a dark-colored car outside.
Court documents say surveillance video showed Villarreal and Emanuel Garza arriving there on Dec. 4, 2020.
Garza later told police that Villarreal wanted to visit his father. Garza said he sat at a table and used his phone.
Garza said he then heard loud bangs and saw Shulzitski drop to his knees. He said Shulzitski appeared shocked.
Garza said he left the room soon afterward. Video allegedly showed Garza and Villarreal leaving separately on foot.
Garza is listed as a possible witness in the case. Court records say he was recently taken into custody as a material witness.
Arrest and Return to North Dakota
Police contacted Villarreal at 3:51 a.m. Dec. 5, court documents say. He had a large cut on his wrist.
Villarreal later received treatment at Altru Hospital. Court documents say he refused to identify himself to officers.
After leaving the hospital, Villarreal remained at large for several weeks.
Detectives located him Dec. 30 at a trailer park in Crookston, Minnesota.
Local police obtained a warrant and searched the trailer. Villarreal was found and taken into custody.
That arrest led to drug possession charges, which later resulted in a conviction.
In May 2022, Villarreal received a 19-month sentence with credit for 488 days.
He also had convictions in two assault cases. Those cases added another 181 days to his time in custody.
Villarreal was transferred to the Grand Forks County Correctional Center on Feb. 13, 2025.
Trial Delayed Several Times
The North Dakota case was delayed several times after his return.
Trial dates in March and July were both postponed before this week’s trial date was set.
Public case information is available through North Dakota Courts.
Information about the investigating agency is available from the Grand Forks Police Department.
Villarreal has not been convicted in this case. The charge remains an allegation unless proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.
