Suspect in Logan Federico murder case to appear for plea hearing

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The man accused of killing 22-year-old Logan Federico in Columbia last year is set to appear in court.

A plea hearing for Alexander Dickey is scheduled for Friday morning in Richland County, Federico’s family told WBTV late Thursday. The Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office also verified that information when asked by WIS.

Further details about the hearing and any potential plea were not immediately available.

What happened

Dickey allegedly killed Federico as part of a crime spree on May 3, 2025, when Federico was staying with friends at a home on Cypress Street in the Old Shandon neighborhood.

Authorities said Dickey stole a car and went into another home on Cypress Street, where he stole car keys, a wallet and a gun. Then he entered the unlocked home next door, where Federico was, and fatally shot Federico before fleeing the scene.

He was arrested the following day in Lexington County after reportedly breaking into a home there and setting it on fire. He was later charged with murder in Columbia for Federico’s death.

WIS spoke with Logan’s father, Stephen, in the days following her death. He described Logan as a “people person” who found it easy to uplift others. A celebration of life was also held for her in her hometown of Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Dickey’s history

The case also put a spotlight on Dickey’s criminal history, which included years of burglary arrests and convictions dating back to 2014.

A WIS investigation found that a discrepancy notably kept Dickey from serving prison time in 2023. That discrepancy turned out to be a missing fingerprint that made his criminal record incomplete, causing confusion over how he should be sentenced.

National attention

The story gained national attention in September, when U.S. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Ralph Norman called for Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson to be impeached over his handling of the case.

It was also around the time that Stephen Federico appeared before a House Judiciary subcommittee, where he claimed he hadn’t heard from Gipson months after his daughter’s death. Gipson’s office responded, saying they met with the family days after Dickey’s arrest and a phone call days before the House hearing.

In early October, South Carolina Attorney General and fellow gubernatorial candidate Alan Wilson urged Gipson’s office to seek the death penalty against Dickey.

Although primarily linked to a different case, the push against Gipson continued into February 2026 when a state House subcommittee launched its own inquiry into possibly impeaching the solicitor.

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