Vincent Villarreal Trial Could Have As Many As 37 Witnesses, Will Have 14 Jurors

(KNOX) –A 34-year-old East Grand Forks man started standing trial yesterday on accusations that he killed his father six years ago in Grand Forks.

Vincent Villarreal is facing Class AA felony murder charges with extreme indifference, and he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty. He is accused of shooting his father, Jeffrey Shulzitski at the then Budget Inn Express at 3400 Gateway Drive.

The trial is scheduled to last for nine days and as many as 37 witnesses could be called to testify.

His mother, sister, and the then Budget Inn Manager are all named on the witness list. Emanuel Garza, a man who was in the hotel room when the shooting allegedly happened has also been listed as a possible witness.

Both the prosecution and defense submitted witness lists, where prosecutors could call 30 witnesses and the defense could call 13, where there would be some overlap.

There will also be 14 jurors on the case, which includes two alternate jurors. All 14 will hear the case, but only 12 will deliberate. 66 potential jurors were brought in before it was narrowed down to 14.

Villarreal was extradited to North Dakota this year after finishing an separate prison sentence in Minnesota.

Court documents say that Villarreal and Emanuel Garza arrived at the hotel on December 4th, 2020 in a dark colored car, and that Shulzitski was found dead on December 5th, 2020 in hotel room 189. There was a broken glass window and a dark-colored car parked outside.

Garza would tell police later on that Villarreal wanted to visit his father. Garza says he was sitting at a table on his phone in the hotel room, when he heard loud bangs and saw Shulzitski drop to his knees in shock. Garza says he left the hotel room after hearing the noise, and surveillance video apparently shows Garza and Villarreal leaving the hotel on foot in different directions separately.

Court documents also say that law enforcement spoke with Villarreal on December 5th, 2020, where he had a large cut on his wrist that he was treated for at Altru Hospital. Villarreal is also accused of refusing to tell officers his name.

Villarreal was arrested weeks later at a trailer park in Crookston, when Grand Forks Police were searching for him. After that arrest, he was convicted on drug possession charges and was sentenced in 2022 to 19 months in prison with 488 days of credit. He was also convicted on assault charges in two more cases, as he spent another 181 days in jail.

Villarreal was transferred to the Grand Forks County Correctional Center in 2025, so his case in North Dakota could proceed.

The trial was postponed twice this year before starting this week.