A former high school basketball star was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer by a coworker who admittedly did not like her, prosecutors alleged.
Amber Czech, 20, was found dead at her work station at a Minnesota manufacturing plant around 6am Tuesday morning.
Surveillance cameras inside the Advanced Process Technologies facility recorded the moment she was brutally attacked by her colleague, prosecutors said.
David Bruce Delong, 40, left his work station, walked over to Czech, picked up a sledgehammer and hit her to the ground, according to charging documents obtained by the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old welder was knocked to the ground, but Delong continued to hit her four more times, the court filing said.
Czech died of blunt force trauma to her head and corresponding blood loss.
Delong was charged with second-degree murder after he allegedly confessed to both police and another coworker. The charge could be upgraded to first-degree murder.
The alleged killer has an apparent history of criminal behavior, the Daily Mail can reveal. His rap sheet includes convictions of brawling, theft, disorderly conduct, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Amber Czech, 20, was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer by a coworker who admittedly did not like her, prosecutors alleged
Czech (bottom left) was a varsity basketball player at Hutchinson High School in Minnesota. She graduated in 2023 and then completed a 10-month welding technology program
David Bruce Delong, 40, was charged with second-degree murder in connection to her death
An employee at the plant in Cokato, roughly 50 miles from Minneapolis, told investigators that Delong admitted to killing Czech after the attack.
‘I hit her with your hammer, she is by your toolbox, she is gone,’ Delong said, according to the witness.
He also confessed to police that he disliked Czech and had been planning to kill her ‘for some time,’ deputies said in the statement of probable cause.
Paramedics found Czech’s body lying on the plant’s cement floor, near her work station. A bloody hammer was on the ground next to her, according to investigators.
First responders attempted life-saving measures, but despite their best efforts she was declared dead at the scene.
Although Czech was not in direct frame of the surveillance cameras, video of the Delong’s attack showed he was relentless, prosecutors say.
Footage showed how he first swung in a ‘horizontal movement consistent with the victim standing,’ the charging documents alleged.
He then was seen ‘forcefully swinging’ the hammer four more times in a ‘downward fashion’ that investigators said was ‘consistent with the victim being on the ground.’
Peter Czech (pictured with his wife Angie and their children, including Amber) said the 20-year-old became interested in welding while she was still in high school. He said she loved her job and was an ‘outgoing, hard worker’ who always helped others
Angie Czech paid tribute to her daughter by sharing this photo of her on social media
Delong is currently being held in Wright County Jail, according to Thursday’s inmate roster.
He appeared in court Wednesday morning, where his bail was set at $2 million with conditions. According to KSNI, Delong must surrender his passport and any firearms, remain law abiding, and have no contact with the Czech family.
He is due to appear in court again on November 24.
Czech’s role at Advanced Process Technologies marked her first job as a professional welder.
She graduated from Alexandria Technical & Community College this past spring after completing a 10-month welding technology program, KARE reported.
‘She exemplified the qualities we strive to instill in all our students — hard work, determination and professionalism,’ the college said in a statement to the outlet.
Advanced Process Technologies also paid tribute to Czech in a heartfelt Facebook post Wednesday.
‘As some in our community know, one of our facilities was the site of a tragic event that resulted in the death of one of our coworkers. Our hearts are with their family, friends and all who are grieving this loss,’ the company wrote.
‘We are working closely with law enforcement as they investigate this event and focused on supporting our employees and the victim’s family.’
Amber Czech, 20, was found dead at her work station at Advanced Process Technologies in Hutchinson, Minnesota around 6am Tuesday morning
Czech’s loved ones have blasted the ‘senseless act of cruelty’ that ended her life
Delong is seen in his mugshot
Czech was a varsity basketball player at Hutchinson High School. She graduated in 2023, MaxPreps records indicated.
Leah Kirking Watzke, who appears to have been active in Hutchinson sports, blasted the ‘senseless act of cruelty’ that ended Czech’s life.
‘It’s hard to make sense of it for our kids when we can’t make sense of it ourselves,’ she wrote in a Facebook post featuring photos of Czech’s team.
‘Please keep the Czech family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate the days, months and years ahead. We will always remember Amber for her kindness, her crazy three-point shot, her quiet demeanor and beautiful smile, a great teammate, just a beautiful young lady inside and out.’
Czech’s cousin Shannon Paggen echoed: ‘Amber was taken from this world way too young due to a nonsense tragic act.’
Her father Peter told KARE that Czech became interested in welding while she was still in high school. He said she loved her job and was an ‘outgoing, hard worker’ who always helped others.
Czech’s mother Angie paid tribute to her daughter by sharing a photo of her on social media.
