Amber Czech, Minnesota Welder, Bludgeoned to Death with Sledgehammer by Co-Worker David Bruce Delong

Information reaching our desks has it that 20-year-old welder Amber Czech was brutally killed inside the Cokato, Minnesota manufacturing plant where she worked, after co-worker David Bruce Delong allegedly attacked her with a sledgehammer in what prosecutors say was a planned act of murder.

According to investigators, surveillance cameras captured Delong leaving his station, walking to Czech’s work area, picking up her sledgehammer, and striking her once while she was standing before hitting her four more times after she fell to the ground. Paramedics found her on the plant’s cement floor with a bloody hammer beside her. She died from blunt-force trauma to the head and blood loss.

 

Delong, 40, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, a charge that may be upgraded to first-degree. He has prior convictions for brawling, theft, disorderly conduct, and DUI. A co-worker told investigators that Delong confessed immediately after the attack, saying, “I hit her with your hammer, she is by your toolbox, she is gone.” Deputies say Delong admitted he disliked Czech and had been planning to kill her “for some time.”

At his court appearance, Delong’s bail was set at $2 million with conditions, including surrendering his passport and firearms and having no contact with the victim’s family. He is currently held in Wright County Jail and due back in court on November 24.

David Bruce Delong, 40, was charged with second-degree intentional murder for killing his 20-year-old coworker Amber Czech on Monday.

Czech had recently graduated from Alexandria Technical & Community College after completing a 10-month welding program and had chosen to pursue a career in a male-dominated trade. She was also a varsity basketball player at Hutchinson High School, graduating in 2023. Both her college and employer paid tribute to her hard work, professionalism, and determination.

Her death has left a profound impact on her community, highlighting not only the tragic loss of a young life but also the risks women can face in traditionally male-dominated workplaces. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack.