COKATO, Minn. (TCN) — A man has been arrested and charged after allegedly killing a female co-worker with a sledgehammer because he disliked her.
Authorities were called to Advanced Process Technologies at around 6 a.m. Nov. 11 after Amber Czech, 20, was discovered at her workstation with severe head trauma, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Czech was pronounced dead at the scene despite first responders’ attempts to save her.
Czech died from an assault with a blunt force object by a male co-worker, the statement said. Deputies took the suspect, David Bruce Delong, 40, into custody and he was charged with second-degree murder, KARE reports.
Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes said in a statement that he might consider a charge of first-degree premeditated murder, according to KARE.
Court documents obtained by KARE say surveillance footage allegedly shows Delong approaching Czech’s workstation, striking her with a sledgehammer, and then hitting her four more times after she fell to the ground.
KKCO reports the sledgehammer belonged to another employee and Delong allegedly told him, “I hit her with your hammer. She is by your toolbox. She is gone.”
After being informed of his rights, Delong allegedly told officers he had intended to kill Czech because he did not like her and that he had planned the attack ahead of time, KARE reports.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office says its investigation is ongoing. Delong is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 24.
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