East Grand Forks, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) — A man accused of murdering his father in a Grand Forks hotel room in 2020 has pleaded not guilty and waived his preliminary hearing, according to court filings made on Monday, March 24, 2025.
Vincent Chase Villarreal, 32, is charged with Class AA felony murder in the death of his father, 55-year-old Jeffrey Allen Shulzitski, and could face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if convicted.
Case Background:
Grand Forks law enforcement responded to a report of an unattended death on December 5, 2020, at a local hotel. Upon arrival, officers discovered the deceased, later identified as Shulzitski.
An autopsy confirmed that Shulzitski died from a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
What Investigators Found:
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Surveillance footage and witness testimony revealed Villarreal visited his father at the hotel on the afternoon of December 4, 2020.
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While inside the hotel room, a firearm was discharged.
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One witness alleged Villarreal was the shooter, and footage showed him leaving the room shortly after the incident.
Although charges weren’t immediately filed, Villarreal had been in custody in Minnesota on unrelated charges for the past few years. He was released from prison in early 2025 and transferred to the Grand Forks County Correctional Center in February, where he remains jailed on $750,000 bond.
His final dispositional conference has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on June 19.
Did you know?
Class AA Felony Murder is the most severe charge in North Dakota, carrying a mandatory life sentence if convicted.
Patricide (the act of killing one’s father) is extremely rare, accounting for less than 2% of all homicides in the U.S.
Cold cases involving delayed prosecution often depend heavily on witness accounts and video surveillance.
This case is being prosecuted by the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office and remains active.
I’m Chris Harper, and I’m reporting for TRF News.