The distraught father of a 22-year-old aspiring trainer murdered by a “profession felony” whereas visiting associates 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 tackle throughout a congressional listening to in Charlotte aimed toward tackling rising considerations over violent crime and repeat offenders — talking simply weeks after the high-profile homicide of Ukrainian nationwide Iryna Zarutska.
Rigidity 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 would like you to do. Once I inform you this story… take into consideration your baby.”
His daughter, Logan Federico, was fatally shot on Might 3 whereas visiting associates at USC in Columbia, South Carolina, after 30-year-old “profession felony” Alexander Dickey broke into the Cypress Road dwelling.
“Take into consideration your baby coming dwelling from an evening out with associates, mendacity down, going to sleep, feeling anyone come into the room…and wake them. And drag her off the bed. Bare. Pressured on her knees. Along with her fingers 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.
“Lifeless. Gone. Why? As a result of Alexander Devonte Dickey — who was arrested 39 goddam instances, 25 felonies — was on the road.
Dickey had a protracted 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 additionally numerous others.
“He ought to have been in jail for over 140 years for all the crimes he dedicated. You know the way a lot time he spent in jail? Just a little over 600 days in ten years. He’s solely 30 years previous,” Federico mentioned.
“He was committing 2.65 crimes a yr since he was 15 years previous. However no one might work out that he couldn’t be rehabilitated. Nicely, you’d must put him in jail to see if he might be rehabilitated. Isn’t that the concept of jail? However no.”
The heartbroken father vowed to maintain preventing.
“I’ll battle till my final breath for my daughter. I’m not going to be quiet till anyone helps. Logan deserves to be heard. Everybody on this panel deserves to be heard. And we’ll. Belief me,” he vowed.
“You’ve 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.”
Information present Dickey confronted almost 40 fees since 2013, however was sentenced in solely eight instances, 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 response to 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 past, the place he compelled 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 through the fee of a violent crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, two counts of grand larceny, grand larceny of a motorcar, and three counts of monetary transaction card theft.
He faces life in jail for the costs filed in opposition to him.
with Publish wires
