East Grand Forks Murder Trial Delayed to Oct. 6

Grand Forks (trfnews.i234.me) — A murder trial involving an East Grand Forks man has been delayed until Oct. 6.

Vincent Chase Villarreal, 34, is accused of killing his father in Grand Forks nearly six years ago.

Villarreal faces one count of murder with extreme indifference. The Class AA felony carries a possible life sentence.

Defense Seeks More Review Time

Defense attorney Ward Johnson requested more time during a court hearing Wednesday.

Johnson said the defense recently received about 60,000 video files connected to the case.

He told the court that reviewing the material would take significant time.

Johnson said he wanted to examine the evidence closely and avoid missing important details.

District Judge Theodore Sandberg approved the delay. However, he warned that another continuance was unlikely.

The trial was first expected to begin in March. It was later moved to July 14.

Court records say Villarreal allegedly killed 55-year-old Jeffrey Allen Shulzitski on Dec. 5, 2020.

The death happened at the former Budget Inn Express motel in Grand Forks.

The motel has since been demolished.

Authorities initially considered the death suspicious. An autopsy later ruled the death a homicide.

The listed cause was a gunshot wound, according to court records.

Villarreal was arrested in Minnesota in January 2021 on unrelated charges.

He remained in Minnesota custody for several years.

In February 2025, he was transferred to the Grand Forks County Correctional Center.

The transfer allowed North Dakota prosecutors to move forward with the murder case.

Sandberg said the case was extremely serious and required enough preparation time.

The judge also made clear that Oct. 6 should remain the final trial date.

Case information may be available through the North Dakota Courts website.

County information is available through the Grand Forks County website.

Villarreal has not been convicted. The charge remains an allegation unless proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

I’m Chris Harper, reporting for TRF News.

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