June 8, 2025
An already heartbroken father was left reeling after discovering that the man accused of taking his daughter’s life in a home burglary may have been behind bars for numerous other crimes if not for a clerical mistake.
Logan Federico, a 22-year-old aspiring teacher from Waxhaw, North Carolina, was tragically killed during a visit to the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Suspect Alexander Dickey, a 30-year-old with a lengthy criminal record, broke into the home where Logan was staying, stole credit and debit cards, and fatally shot her in what was described as a “random” crime by Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook.
Stephen Federico, Logan’s father, expressed his frustration with the justice system, stating that Dickey was a “career criminal” who should have been behind bars long before his daughter’s untimely death. Dickey had nearly 40 previous arrests across various North Carolina counties dating back over a decade. Despite this extensive criminal history, he was only sentenced to probation for a first offense of third-degree burglary in 2023.
Federico lamented the fact that Dickey’s rights seemed to be prioritized over the safety of innocent individuals like his daughter. The grieving father described Logan as an “electric” and outgoing young woman with dreams of becoming a teacher.
The errors in Dickey’s criminal record can be traced back to multiple instances where charges and dispositions did not appear on his rap sheet. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) revealed that they did not receive fingerprints associated with some of Dickey’s arrests, leading to significant gaps in his record.
Despite the seriousness of the charges against him, Dickey managed to avoid significant prison time by pleading guilty to lesser offenses. This leniency ultimately allowed him to roam the streets and commit further crimes, culminating in the tragic loss of Logan Federico’s life.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
Authorities in South Carolina have been quick to deflect blame, with different agencies pointing fingers at each other over the mishandling of Dickey’s case. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged that Dickey’s full record was readily available, even if his fingerprints were not included in his SLED rap sheet.
As the investigation into Logan Federico’s murder continues, her family and friends are left grappling with the senseless loss of a bright young woman with a promising future. Stephen Federico remains determined to seek justice for his daughter, hoping that the tragic circumstances surrounding her death will lead to much-needed reforms in the criminal justice system.
