In a tragic turn of events, a clerical error within the criminal justice system has been linked to the untimely death of Logan Federico, a 22-year-old aspiring teacher. On the early morning of May 3, Alexander Dickey, 30, reportedly entered the Cypress Street home in Columbia, South Carolina, where Federico was visiting friends from the University of South Carolina. Dickey, who has nearly 40 arrests to his name, allegedly shot and killed Federico in an unprovoked attack after stealing several credit and debit cards.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook described the crime as "random" during a press conference on May 5. However, Stephen Federico, Logan's father, challenged this characterization, pointing to Dickey's extensive criminal background. "This wasn't just a random go-in-and-shoot-somebody. This was a guy that was a career criminal," he told Fox News Digital.
Dickey's criminal history spans over a decade across various North Carolina counties. Yet, due to clerical errors, his record appeared incomplete, leading to a surprisingly lenient sentence for a first offense of third-degree burglary in 2023. Dickey had been convicted of similar charges in 2014 but received only probation in the recent case.
The errors in question involve missing fingerprints that were crucial to documenting Dickey's criminal activities. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and local agencies are currently investigating the circumstances that allowed these oversights to occur. In 2014, Dickey faced multiple burglary and larceny charges, but not all were recorded in his criminal history due to the absence of additional fingerprints.
Rick Hubbard, Solicitor of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, expressed his lack of awareness of Dickey's prior convictions, which significantly impacted the sentencing in 2023. The Lexington County Sheriff's Office responded to the controversy, stating that Dickey's comprehensive record was available, even if not fully reflected in the SLED database.
Stephen Federico has expressed his determination to uncover the systemic issues that contributed to his daughter's death. While he is grateful to law enforcement for solving the case within 36 hours, he remains focused on exposing the gaps in the criminal justice system.
Dickey now faces a slew of charges, including murder and first-degree burglary, and is set to appear in court on July 25. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment for the crimes committed in Lexington County.
