Grand Forks Jury Finds Vincent Villarreal Guilty of Murder

GRAND FORKS, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – A Grand Forks jury has found Vincent Chase Villarreal guilty of murdering his father in December 2020.

Villarreal, 34, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was convicted Thursday, October 15, 2026.

The verdict followed a murder trial involving the shooting death of his father, Jeffrey Shulzitski, 55.

Shulzitski was found dead inside a Grand Forks hotel room nearly six years ago.

Villarreal faces a possible life sentence. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 25, 2027.

Fatal Shooting at Grand Forks Hotel

The killing happened December 4, 2020, at the former Budget Inn Express in Grand Forks.

The hotel was located at 3400 Gateway Drive.

Authorities discovered Shulzitski’s body the following day inside room 189.

Investigators determined that Shulzitski died from a gunshot wound.

Police identified Villarreal as a suspect after reviewing witness statements and evidence connected to the shooting.

He was arrested weeks later at a trailer park in Crookston, Minnesota.

Villarreal’s trial began October 6, 2026, in Grand Forks.

Prosecutors called 29 witnesses while presenting their case against Villarreal.

Investigators testified about evidence collected from the hotel and Villarreal’s vehicle.

Prosecutors said a bullet recovered from the murder scene matched a bullet found inside Villarreal’s car.

They also presented evidence concerning Villarreal’s movements before and after the shooting.

Witness testimony and hotel surveillance footage were important parts of the prosecution’s case.

The defense challenged the reliability of some witnesses and their memories of events from nearly six years earlier.

Defense attorneys rested their case Wednesday without calling any witnesses.

Jurors began deliberating Wednesday afternoon, October 14.

They deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before ending their first day.

Deliberations resumed Thursday, when the jury returned its guilty verdict.

Villarreal was tried on a Class AA felony murder charge involving extreme indifference to human life.

Under North Dakota law, Class AA felony murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The verdict resolves the question of Villarreal’s guilt, while sentencing remains pending.

Additional information about North Dakota’s criminal laws is available through the North Dakota Legislative Branch.

Villarreal remains in custody following the conviction.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 25, 2027.

The court will determine his sentence based on the applicable law and circumstances of the case.

Additional information about court proceedings is available through the North Dakota Court System.

The conviction comes nearly six years after Jeffrey Shulzitski was found dead in the Grand Forks hotel.

The case has now moved from trial proceedings to the sentencing stage.

TRF News will continue following developments as the sentencing date approaches.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.