The distraught father of a 22-year-old aspiring instructor murdered by a “profession legal” whereas visiting pals on the College of South Carolina scolded lawmakers on Monday for the lax crime insurance policies that allowed her killer to stay free.
Stephen Federico delivered a uncooked, gut-wrenching deal with throughout a congressional listening to in Charlotte geared toward tackling rising considerations over violent crime and repeat offenders — talking simply weeks after the high-profile homicide of Ukrainian nationwide Iryna Zarutska.
Pressure was already excessive earlier than the grief-stricken father addressed the committee, after Democratic North Carolina Rep. Deborah Ross mistakenly pointed to a photograph of his daughter, figuring out it as Zarutska.
“That is my daughter, okay? That is Logan Federico,” he chastised Ross. “How dare you not know her.”
Ross repeatedly apologized for the error earlier than the listening to continued.
“What number of of y’all have children?” the grieving father sternly requested the committee. “Right here’s what I want you to do. Once I let you know this story… take into consideration your baby.”
His daughter, Logan Federico, was fatally shot on Might 3 whereas visiting pals at USC in Columbia, South Carolina, after 30-year-old “profession legal” Alexander Dickey broke into the Cypress Road dwelling.
“Take into consideration your baby coming dwelling from an evening out with pals, mendacity down, going to sleep, feeling any individual come into the room…and wake them. And drag her off the bed. Bare. Compelled on her knees. Along with her palms over her head. Begging for her life. Begging for her hero. Her father. Me. That couldn’t be there,” Federico mentioned whereas preventing again tears and anger.
“She was 5-foot-3. She weighed 115 lbs… BANG!” he shouted on the members of the committee.
“Useless. Gone. Why? As a result of Alexander Devonte Dickey — who was arrested 39 goddam instances, 25 felonies — was on the road.
Dickey had an extended report of break-ins and went on a bank card spending spree after capturing Logan, earlier than being taken into custody.
Federico blasted the justice system for its failure to guard not solely his daughter but in addition numerous others.
“He ought to have been in jail for over 140 years for the entire crimes he dedicated. You understand how a lot time he spent in jail? A little bit over 600 days in ten years. He’s solely 30 years outdated,” Federico mentioned.
“He was committing 2.65 crimes a 12 months since he was 15 years outdated. However no one might determine that he couldn’t be rehabilitated. Properly, you’d need to put him in jail to see if he may very well be rehabilitated. Isn’t that the thought of jail? However no.”
The heartbroken father vowed to maintain preventing.
“I’ll combat till my final breath for my daughter. I’m not going to be quiet till any individual helps. Logan deserves to be heard. Everybody on this panel deserves to be heard. And we’ll. Belief me,” he vowed.
“You might have the ability. We put you into energy to do what you must do. We’re asking you, we’re begging you all to cease this.”
Data present Dickey confronted practically 40 fees since 2013, however was sentenced in solely eight circumstances, involving theft, drug possession, and larceny.
In 2023, Dickey pleaded responsible to third-degree housebreaking, receiving a five-year sentence with over 410 days credited and had his probation shortened “for compliance.”
Within the early morning of Might 3, Dickey drove a stolen automobile into the neighborhood and parked on Cypress Road, apparently at random, in line with Columbia police.
He then allegedly broke into one dwelling, stealing automotive keys and a firearm, earlier than getting into the home the place Federico was staying, the place he allegedly executed her.
Round 4 p.m. on Might 4, a Gaston resident reported seeing a person — later recognized as Dickey — emerge from the woods and steal a automotive. He crashed the automobile shortly after, then fled on foot to the identical Gaston dwelling legislation enforcement had visited the day prior to this, the place he pressured his method inside.
Authorities surrounded the residence and ordered him to emerge, at which level Dickey allegedly tried to set hearth to the house. Lexington County Sheriff’s Workplace deputies detained him on the residence.
Dickey is charged with homicide, two counts of first-degree housebreaking, two counts of possession of a weapon in the course of the fee of a violent crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, two counts of grand larceny, grand larceny of a motorized vehicle, and three counts of economic transaction card theft.
He faces life in jail for the fees filed towards him.
with Publish wires
