“Having [her teacher] in high school welding classes who saw and encouraged her passion, ... I believe that positive experience, coupled with only having to go to college for 10 months and being able to earn a good wage, were her selling points,” says Angie. “She enjoyed going to work and welding everyday. She saw it as a long term, good-paying way of life.”

On Nov. 11, 2025, at about 6:00 a.m., police were called to the Advanced Process Technologies equipment manufacturing and fabrication facility in Cokato, Minn., where Amber Czech was employed as a welder. She had been bludgeoned to death by a male colleague. The incident, captured partly on CCTV footage, sent shockwaves across the skilled trades, with industry groups calling for increased support and workplace protections for women across worksites.

“We must treat safety, respect and access as universal operational standards, not gender discussions—[so that] performance improves for everyone,” says National Association of Women in Construction President Rita Brown on needed industry changes following Czech’s murder.

Amber’s family had “no concerns about the experiences she might have entering a welding career,” says Angie. ”She had people that mentored her and wanted to mentor her.” However, the incident brought to light a harsh reality for women working in the skilled trades, she adds.

“We started seeing comments on the negativity towards women that occurs in the workplace in male-dominated fields,” she says. “We live in a somewhat rural area. That kind of thing doesn’t happen in rural small towns. [Amber] was the person on the crew who made work fun and competitive, who could get done first, yet quality was the judge of the competition.”

Fighting for Justice

David Delong, 40, who was accused of murdering Amber Czech, was found incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness, according to an update from the Wright County, Minn. Attorney’s Office.

According to a April 6 report on local Fox 9 TV in Minnesota, he remains in custody and a petition has been filed to have him committed as mentally ill and dangerous. The Attorney’s Office said it intends to seek “life in prison without the possibility of parole,” adding that “Delong’s finding of incompetence is not the end of this case.”

For Angie, her daughter’s story has led her to question how the skilled trades could improve its handling of workplace incidents and mental health. “Women can do things just as well as men, but men seem to be the ones who have more of a difficult time accepting that,” she says. “Most alarming is that a lot of women in the trades have a story of a guy who has verbally or physically assaulted them.”

A scholarship has been established at Alexandria Technical & Community College, in Amber Czech’s memory, with hope that her story may open doors for others. For women considering careers in the skilled trades, her mother offers this advice. “There is a great need. It’s not easy work, but rewarding in the way you are literally helping build America. Look out for each other, not just for other women.”

Angie Czech also has advice for employers: “Be aware of the mental health of your employees. The tools of the trade can clearly turn deadly when people are not in a good state of mind,” she says. “I feel Amber’s memory can best be honored with a saying she had: ‘If you aren’t going to do it right, don’t do it at all.’”