Amber Czech had a passion for welding. At just 20 years old, she had a promising career at Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato, Minnesota. On November 11, 2025, she showed up to work as usual, but it wasn’t a typical day on the job. Instead, a coworker reportedly brutally attacked Czech and left her for dead. David Bruce Delong, 40, now faces murder charges after allegedly giving investigators a chilling confession.
According to a news release from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call around 6 a.m. about a woman found unresponsive and bleeding at her workstation. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but Czech was declared death at the scene. Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes told People that surveillance video from the day of the attack reportedly shows Czech and Delong pass each other without engaging. Then the man allegedly picks up a sledgehammer and attacks her.
“The first swing is horizontal,” Lutes said. “And I took that to mean she’s standing upright at that time. And then he makes four more swings and they’re very aggressive, violent, forceful swings.”
According to court documents obtained by People, Delong reportedly told a coworker he killed Czech and then confirmed his actions to investigators.
“The defendant admitted to not liking the victim. The defendant said he had been planning to kill the victim for some time,” court documents read, per People. Lutes said Delong blamed his disdain for Czech on a “bad look” she’d given him in the past.
The sheriff’s office noted deputies arrested Delong at the scene without incident.
In a statement obtained by CBS News, Advanced Process Technologies shared the company’s devastation following Czech’s passing.
“We are heartbroken by yesterday’s tragedy, and our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends in this terrible moment. We are also making sure our employees have the support they need and working closely with law enforcement as they continue their investigation,” the statement reads. “Production at the facility has been paused for the remainder of the week, and administrative staff are working remotely.”
Loved ones will miss Czech tremendously. A GoFundMe account established to help with final expenses noted the attack took Czech “far too soon.”
“Amber was a hardworking welder who took great pride in her craft and dreamed of building a bright future through her work,” organizers wrote on the page. “Her witty personality, positive attitude, and beautiful smile touched everyone who knew her.”
Robert DeLong, a relative of the alleged killer, shared a statement about the horrific killing on Facebook.
“On November 11, 2025, Amber Czech was brutally murdered at work by David Bruce DeLong. Our family had cut contact with him years ago due to concerns for safety—concerns that tragically proved justified. We are heartbroken for Amber’s family and focused on supporting them through their grief. We ask for privacy as we honor Amber and navigate this pain. No further comment at this time,” he wrote.
It sounds as if Czech had a bright future and Delong was fighting some evil inner demons. No one in their right mind attacks someone with a sledgehammer just for fun. For Czech’s sake, we hope her death was immediate and she never knew what happened. Right now, Delong faces a second-degree intentional murder charge and is sitting in jail on a $2 million bond.
