The Man Accused of Killing Amber Czech Reportedly Told a Witness He Just Didn't Like Her

A community is mourning the loss of a promising young woman whose murder has raised a lot of questions about the world we live in. A GoFundMe page has been started for 20-year-old Amber Czech, who was the victim of a workplace attack. She is described as a "hardworking welder" who "took great pride in her craft and dreamed of building a bright future through her work." The money raised will go toward Czech's funeral.

The comment section is a reflection of a much larger problem in society. "Women who have worked in male-dominated fields (myself included) all understand what she must have been experiencing," wrote one woman. "We see ourselves in you, a trade sister taken too soon," said another. What happened to Czech to elicit such powerful responses to her death? Here's what we know.

According to a press release from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office in Buffalo, Minn., a 911 call from Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato came in around 6 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2025. When deputies and Cokato emergency medics arrived on the scene, they attempted life-saving measures on Czech, who had "significant head trauma." She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators learned that Czech's death was an "assault by an adult male coworker with a blunt force object," later identified as a sledgehammer. Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes told People that surveillance footage shows 40-year-old David Bruce Delong putting on his work gloves before walking over to where Czech was working. He grabbed a sledgehammer along the way.

Lutes described the first swing as horizontal. "And I took that to mean she's standing upright at that time," explained the attorney. "And then he makes four more swings and they're very aggressive, violent, forceful swings." Following the attack, Delong reportedly told a witness, "I hit her with your hammer, she is by your toolbox, she is gone."

The employee Delong spoke with went over to Czech's body, then called the police. Per a complaint obtained by People, Delong allegedly said he didn't like Czech and had been planning to kill her for some time. "He mentioned in his statement that she had kind of given him a bad look and he was upset about that," said Lutes, though this supposed bad look didn't happen the day Czech was killed. Delong has been charged with second-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24, per MPR.

Following Czech's death, Advanced Press Technologies released a statement, reports CBS News. "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." Delong's second-degree charges could be upped to first-degree.