Man accused of bludgeoning coworker to death with sledgehammer facing life imprisonment

The man accused of bludgeoning a coworker to death with a sledgehammer is facing life in prison if convicted.

David Bruce Delong, 40, was indicted last week on one count of first-degree murder for the death of 20-year-old Amber Czech, according to court records.

Amber Czech (Credit: GoFundMe)

Law enforcement was called to Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato on Nov. 11 after it was reported that Czech was found at her workstation with severe head injuries, according to a criminal complaint. A bloody sledgehammer was found near Czech, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement to investigators, Delong confessed to the murder, saying that he intended to kill the victim and had been planning it for some time. He added that he didn’t like her.

Footage from the crime scene shows Delong leave his workstation, walk up to Czech and grab the sledgehammer before swinging it out of view of the camera, the complaint added.

Delong’s swing of the hammer is consistent with where Czech was standing. The video showed Delong hitting her four additional times.

A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Delong is also charged with one count of second-degree murder.

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Amber Czech (Credit: GoFundMe)

In a GoFundMe, family members remember Amber as a “hardworking welder who took great pride in her craft and dreamed of building a bright future through her work. Her witty personality, positive attitude, and beautiful smile touched everyone who knew her.”

A fund has been set up at SouthPoint Bank, and donations can be directly given to the Amber Czech Memorial Fund.
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