A Minnesota man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his co-worker with a sledgehammer. David Bruce DeLong, 40, faces charges of second-degree intentional homicide for the fatal attack on 20-year-old Amber Czech at Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato, which took place around 6 a.m. on Monday.
Authorities reported that DeLong was seen on surveillance video leaving his station, approaching Czech, and striking her in the head with the mallet.
Czech, a welder, collapsed to the floor as DeLong continued to hit her, landing several more blows, according to court documents.
After the incident, he reportedly told another worker, “I hit her with your hammer, she’s by your toolbox, she’s gone.”
The weapon was found next to Czech, who died at the scene due to blunt force trauma and severe blood loss.
In a statement, law enforcement indicated that DeLong expressed a long-standing dislike for Czech and mentioned he had been planning the murder for a while.
Amber Czech, from Hutchinson, was remembered by her father as a hardworking and friendly individual who was always eager to assist others. She discovered her passion for welding during high school and later completed a 10-month welding program at Alexandria Technical & Community College, graduating in 2024.
Following the tragedy, Advanced Process Technologies announced that administrative employees would work remotely while all production activities would be paused for the rest of the week to facilitate the investigation.
The company acknowledged the tragic event that occurred at their facility, expressing condolences in a statement issued to the community.
Wright County Attorney Brian Roots announced plans to elevate the charges to first-degree premeditated murder during an upcoming grand jury session. DeLong remains in custody and is expected to appear in court again on November 24th.
