Murder Charges Against David Delong Put On Hold In Cokato

BUFFALO (WJON News) -- A Watkins man's murder case is paused until another review hearing can be held in March.

A Wright County judge ordered 40-year-old David Delong to undergo a mental competency examination to determine whether he is mentally fit to aid in his defense. A review hearing on February 3rd left the judge in the case to order another review hearing on March 10th.

Delong is charged with 1st-degree premeditated murder and 2nd-degree intentional murder in the bludgeoning death of co-worker Amber Czech.

The Wright County Sheriff’s Office was called to Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato on the morning of November 11th. Authorities say Czech was found at her workstation with significant head trauma. Deputies and Cokato Ambulance paramedics tried life-saving measures, but Czech was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities arrested Delong at the business.

The sheriff’s office says Delong assaulted the victim with a sledgehammer, resulting in fatal injuries.

According to the charges, Delong allegedly told authorities that he didn't like Czech, had been planning to kill her for some time, and confessed to her murder.

If Delong is not found competent to face the charges, his case will be on indefinite hold or until he is deemed mentally fit to face the charges.

LOOK: These are the best lake towns to live in

Stacker examined data from personal finance website WalletHub to determine the best lake towns to live in across the U.S.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

30 famous people you might not know were college athletes

Stacker dug deep to find 30 celebrities who were previously college athletes. There are musicians, politicians, actors, writers, and reality TV stars. For some, an athletic career was a real, promising possibility that ultimately faded away due to injury or an alternate calling. Others scrapped their way onto a team and simply played for fun and the love of the sport. Read on to find out if your favorite actor, singer, or politician once sported a university jersey.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli