Man Kills Co-Worker with Sledgehammer Because He Doesn't Like Her | Crime Alert 6AM 11.25.25

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Man Kills Co-Worker with Sledgehammer Because He Doesn't Like Her"

Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Episode: Crime Alert 6AM 11.25.25
Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Drew Nelson for Nancy Grace
Provider: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

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Overview

This episode delivers a harrowing update on the fatal assault of 20-year-old Amber Zeck, allegedly murdered by a coworker in Minnesota who, according to prosecutors, harbored a long-standing grudge against her. The episode explores the broader impact on women in the trades, the suspect's background, legal proceedings, and the overwhelming response from both local communities and national trade organizations. The episode continues with several other notable crime stories, including an account of a domestic violence shooting in Georgia and a DUI incident with an unexpected twist.

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Key Case: Amber Zeck’s Murder in Minnesota

The Crime (00:03–01:13)

• Incident Summary:
  • Amber Zeck, a 20-year-old welder, was killed at her workstation in a Minnesota manufacturing plant by coworker David Bruce Delong.
  • Delong used a sledgehammer, planning the attack for a long time, according to prosecutors.
  • Surveillance footage captured Delong leaving his station and attacking Amber.
  • He confessed to a witness:
    • Quote (Delong via witness, 01:03): "I hit her with your hammer. She is by your toolbox. She is gone."
• Aftermath:
  • Zeck was found with severe head trauma; death was immediate.
  • A visitation in Hutchinson drew crowds in mourning.

Community and Legal Response (01:13–02:21)

• Family and Community:
  • Amber remembered as joyful, ambitious, precise, and hardworking.
  • Quote (Shannon Visser, relative, 00:51):
    "Bless Amber and remember Amber in every part of her life that has touched people and touched everybody in this community."
• Ongoing Investigation:
  • Delong charged with second-degree murder; first-degree charges under consideration pending a grand jury.
  • Competency evaluation ordered for Delong.
  • The plant paused production and is cooperating with investigators.

National Resonance & Women in the Trades (01:52–02:21)

• Trade Organization Response:
  • Immediate emergency meeting by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).
  • Members shared stories of harassment, safety fears, and underscored that Amber’s murder is emblematic of systemic issues for women in male-dominated industries.
  • Quote (Rita Brown, NAWIC President, 02:04):
    "Our heart breaks for her family, for her friends, for all those who were touched by what happened to her. This was nothing that such a young woman deserved. Ever, ever, ever."
• Solidarity Actions:
  • Women nationwide wore blue in Amber's honor.
  • Trade unions demanded safer work conditions and a cultural reset to address harassment and hostility toward women.

Personal Legacy & Public Response (02:21–03:24)

• Amber’s Professionalism:
  • Graduate of a 10-month welding program, respected for her high standards.
  • Her motto:
    • Quote (Amber Zeck, recalled in obituary, 02:23):
      "If you are not going to do it right, don't do it at all."
• Public Grieving and Support:
  • GoFundMe for Amber’s family neared its $120,000 goal, with personal stories shared by other women in the trades.
  • Notable Donor Quote:
    • "As a woman working a traditionally male job who gets discriminated against constantly, I stand with Amber."
    • "We may not have known each other, but we were sisters in the trades."

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Additional Crime Stories (06:28–09:56)

Domestic Violence Shooting: Shamay Pitt’s Survival (06:28–07:46)

• Incident Summary:
  • Shamay Pitt, 23, met her ex-boyfriend Joshua Woodruff and was shot 10 times, then kidnapped and driven through several Georgia counties before being abandoned at a hospital.
• Victim’s Account:
  • Quote (Shamay Pitt, 06:57):
    "He steps back, he steps forward and he starts shooting me. My ears are ringing, but I come into realization that he's shooting at me."
  • Pitt described fearing for her life as Woodruff made calls about her body, and pleaded to write a letter to her son.
• Legal and Financial Aftermath:
  • Woodruff charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment; family seeking charges for use of a modified assault rifle and interstate kidnapping.
  • Pitt’s mother, Sherry Tucker, advocated for federal charges due to the illegal weapon.
  • Quote (Sherry Tucker, 07:46):
    "He needs to be charged for bringing [the weapon] over county lines. He needs to be federally charged for having automatic switches."
  • GoFundMe for Pitt’s recovery raised $730 of a $22,000 goal at the time of the episode.

Drunk Driving and Unexpected Delivery (07:55–09:39)

• Incident Summary:
  • In Florida, police found Doordash driver Luis Angel Alania Estrella passed out at the wheel mid-delivery, intoxicated (BAC 0.15).
  • Estrella arrested for DUI and driving with a suspended license.
• Notable Moment:
  • Officer completed the food delivery to ensure the customer received their meal, an act noted in department’s public statement.
• Corporate Reaction:
  • Doordash banned Estrella; issued gratitude to law enforcement for "going above and beyond" to ensure customer safety.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Bless Amber and remember Amber in every part of her life that has touched people..." – Shannon Visser, 00:51
• "I hit her with your hammer. She is by your toolbox. She is gone." – David Delong (per witness), 01:03
• "Our heart breaks for her family... This was nothing that such a young woman deserved. Ever, ever, ever." – Rita Brown, NAWIC President, 02:04
• "He starts shooting me. My ears are ringing, but I come into realization that he's shooting at me." – Shamay Pitt, 06:57
• "He needs to be federally charged for having automatic switches." – Sherry Tucker, 07:46

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Amber Zeck’s Case Introduced: 00:03
• Family and Community Voices: 00:47–01:13
• Police and Prosecutor Details: 01:13–01:52
• Women in Construction Association Response: 01:52–02:21
• Amber's Legacy, GoFundMe Details: 02:21–03:24
• Shamay Pitt Domestic Violence Shooting: 06:28–07:46
• Doordash DUI Incident: 07:55–09:39

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Tone & Language

The episode blends straightforward reporting with empathetic and sometimes emotional insights from victims’ families, trade leaders, and the broader community. The tone is urgent and serious, underscoring both the tragedy of individual cases and their wider societal implications.

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Conclusion

This Crime Alert provides a stark look at gendered violence in the workplace, the ongoing dangers for women in male-dominated industries, and the ripple effects through communities and advocacy groups nationwide. The follow-up stories reinforce concerns about domestic violence and everyday dangers, highlighted by law enforcement’s many roles in pursuing justice and, sometimes, ensuring simple acts of decency.

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Transcript

[A]

Crime Alert Hourly update Breaking crime news now.

[B]

I'm Drew Nelson. Amber Zeck is dead at 20 years old. Police in Minnesota say a co worker who said he didn't like her walked over to her workstation and bashed her with a sledgehammer at the manufacturing plant that employed them. Prosecutors say he planned to kill her for a long time. The death of the young welder shocks the state and sends a wave of grief and anger through women in the trades across the country. A visitation in Hutchinson marks the latest moment of mourning for Amber, whose life ended inside Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato. A steady line of people moved through St. Anastasia Catholic Church. Family member Shannon Visser spoke to our TV news partners at Fox 9 Milwaukee. Right now we are just trying to.

[C]

Bless Amber and remember Amber in every.

[B]

Part of her life that has touched.

[C]

People and touched everybody in this community.

[B]

Loved ones describe her as joyful and ambitious. Investigators say Amber was busy at her station when co worker David Bruce delong long walked over with the sledge. Deputies found her with fatal head trauma and significant blood loss. The bloody hammer lay nearby. Surveillance video showed delong leaving his workstation moments earlier. He allegedly told a witness, quote, I hit her with your hammer. She is by your toolbox. She is gone. Delong faces a second degree murder charge. Wright County District Attorney Brian Lutz is evaluating first degree premeditated murder, which would require a grand jury. A judge has ordered a competency evaluation. The company has paused production and says it is cooperating with investigators. Hundreds of women in the trades convened an emergency meeting of the national association of Women in Construction. Members shared stories of gender harassment, safety fears and the sense that Amber's murder represents something bigger.

[D]

Our heart breaks for her family, for her friends, for all those who were touched by what happened to her. This was nothing that such a young woman deserved. Ever, ever, ever.

[B]

That's association president Rita Brown. Workers nationwide made a showing by wearing blue in Amber's honor. Trade unions issued statements calling for safer work sites, more accountability and a cultural reset around hostility toward women. Amber had completed a 10 month welding program in the spring of 2024. She was known for her precision and pride in her work. Her obituary remembered her standard quote, if you are not going to do it right, don't do it at all. Friends and family said she the outdoors took care of people without being asked and never hesitated to help with a hard task. The response has poured into her family's online fundraiser as well. The GoFundMe stands at $112,976 toward a $120,000 goal with North America's Building Trades Unions. The top donor at $5,000. Donors left messages about their own experiences in male dominated trades and their heartbreak at Amber's death. One contributor writing quote, as a woman working traditionally male job who gets discriminated against constantly, I stand with Amber. Another donor posting quote we may not have known each other, but we were sisters in the trades. More crime and justice news after this.

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[C]

You see that red flag? Run away.

[B]

Those are the words of a Georgia woman who ignored her own warning and nearly died because of it, recovering in DeKalb county near Atlanta after her ex boyfriend shot her 10 times, kidnapped her and drove her through multiple counties while she pleaded for her Life. Shamay Pitt, 23, told WSB she met her ex, Joshua Woodruff, on November 2 to talk, then watched the man explode into violence inside her car, she spoke in an exclusive interview.

[C]

He steps back, he steps forward and he starts shooting me. My ears are ringing, but I come into realization that he's shooting at me.

[B]

Pitt says she sat bleeding from 10 gunshot wounds as Woodruff drove her from Snap Finger road in unincorporated DeKalb county to Douglasville. She said she heard him making two call.

[C]

Basically ask them what to do with my body. I'm scared. I asked him, can I just write? Can I just write a letter to my son?

[B]

Pitt says Woodruff abandoned her at a hospital after hours on the road. Paramedics moved her to another trauma center while security detained Woodruff. Police charged him with aggravated assault and false imprisonment. Pitt's mother, Sherry Tucker, wants the charges upgraded, including a charge for a modified assault rifle.

[C]

He needs to be charged for bringing over county lines. He needs to be federally charged for having automatic switches.

[B]

Federal the attack has left Pitt with an overwhelming stack of medical bills. A GoFundMe set up in her name has raised only $730 toward a $22,000 goal. On the campaign page, Tucker wrote, quote, on Sunday, November 2nd, he ambushed her in an act of unthinkable violence. He shot my daughter 10 times with an AR rifle that had an internal switch and was loaded with.762 AAC blackout round. Amm she tried jumping out the car on the highway but couldn't due to all the broken bones as he constantly threatened to shoot her in the head. Through it all my baby begged for her life and by the grace of God she survived. Shamay is now fighting through surgeries and a long recovery to take care of her four year old autistic son. A traffic case in Florida ends with a drunk driving arrest and an unplanned home visit by police after officers find a doordash driver passed out at a traffic light. Cape Coral police say they found 25 year old Luis Angel Alania Estrella slumped over the wheel of his Toyota sedan at Skyline Boulevard and Cape Coral Parkway. Body camera footage shows officers shouting for him to put the car in park. They found an open beer inside his vehicle. The breathalyzer recorded a 0.15 blood alcohol content, nearly twice the legal limit. He was charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license. Booked into the Lee County Jail, officers learn he was on a doordash run and concern themselves with the late delivery. Body cam shows an officer confirming the address, shrugging and deciding to finish the job. The department reported that, quote, the actions of the officer helped ensure the resident received the meal safely and without unnecessary delay. Estrella appeared confused on scene and spoke to officers in Spanish. Doordash later said the company had permanently removed Estrella from the platform. A spokesperson told ABC News the company has, quote, zero tolerance for under the influence and thanked officers, quote, for keeping the community safe and going above and beyond to deliver this customer's dinner. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert Hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson.

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