A Minnesota workplace turned into the scene of a horrifying killing after a 40-year-old employee allegedly attacked a coworker with a sledgehammer, leaving her dead at her workstation.
David Delong has been charged with second-degree intentional murder in the death of 20-year-old Amber Czech, his coworker at Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato.
Wright County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the food and dairy processing plant around 6 a.m. on Nov. 11 after receiving a report that a woman had been found at her station with severe head injuries. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but Czech was pronounced dead on the scene.
Surveillance video captured the two employees walking past each other shortly before the attack. According to Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes, nothing in the footage shows them interacting or arguing. Moments later, Delong allegedly put on work gloves, grabbed a sledgehammer, and walked back toward Czech’s workstation.
Lutes says the first blow appears to have struck her while she was still standing. Four more violent swings followed, though the attack itself happened out of the camera’s view.
Afterward, Delong allegedly approached another worker and admitted what he had done, saying something like, “I hit her with your hammer, she is by your toolbox, she is gone,” according to a criminal complaint.
The witness then went to check the shop floor, saw the scene, and called for help.
Authorities say Delong later confessed to the killing, claiming he had planned it and intended to kill her. According to the complaint, he said he “didn’t like” the victim and had been upset over a “bad look” she had supposedly given him at some earlier point. Investigators called the reasoning illogical and disturbing.
Czech died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Advanced Process Technologies released a statement expressing heartbreak and confirming that operations at the facility were paused for the rest of the week while employees were offered support and the investigation continued.
Delong is being held on $2 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24. He has not yet entered a plea.
What's Up Team
What a demonic looking man.