‘You Woke Up A Beast’: A Father’s Fury For His Murdered Daughter Exposes Broken Justice System

At a House Judiciary Field Hearing in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday, Steve Federico didn’t just testify — he erupted. His voice, shaking with fury and loss, laid bare the failure of a justice system that allowed a repeat violent offender to walk free — until he executed Federico’s daughter, Logan Federico, in cold blood.

“My daughter was Logan Federico,” he began. “She was 22. Visiting friends at the University of South Carolina.” But what began as a description quickly became an indictment — not just of one man, Alexander Devonte Dickey, but of a system that let him remain free.

This is Logan Federico.

She was murdered in her sleep by a career criminal.

We won't forget you. https://t.co/0sshyRKElw pic.twitter.com/ttV9yTiuXv

— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) September 29, 2025

Alexander Dickey, who was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing 22yo Logan Federico during a home burglary, had an EXTENSIVE criminal history consisting of nearly 40 CHARGES which include strong-armed robbery, grand larceny, and drug possession.

Many of his prior charges… pic.twitter.com/HVRTORJ0Bp

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 9, 2025

As Federico noted, Dickey had 39 arrests and 25 felonies, yet had spent just over 600 days in prison over a ten-year span. “He should have been in jail for over 140 years,” Federico accused. “He should have been in jail for over 140 years for all the crimes he committed. You know how much time he spent in prison? A little over 600 days in 10 years.”

Federico painted a harrowing scene — his daughter dragged from her bed, naked, forced onto her knees, hands raised, begging for her life. “Begging for her hero — me — that couldn’t be there,” he choked out. “She was five-foot-three. She weighed 115 pounds.”

“Bye,” he thundered. “Dead. Gone.”

Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout

The room fell silent, but Federico kept going, hammering the point home: “He was committing 2.65 crimes a year since he was 15 years old, but nobody could figure out that he couldn’t be rehabilitated?” He wasn’t just angry at Dickey. He was furious at prosecutors, judges, and lawmakers who, in his view, allowed monsters to roam free.

One target of his outrage was Barry Gipson, South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Solicitor, whom Federico claimed hadn’t reached out once in the four months since Logan’s murder. “And I haven’t heard a damn word from Barry Gipson in South Carolina,” Federico said with disgust. “Not one word. Four months, no communication. His biggest concern was that he was pissed off at my interview and how I made him look on the Fox News channel.”

Federico’s daughter wanted to be a teacher. She figured it out, her father said, just two weeks before she was executed. “You will not forget her,” he vowed. “You will be sick and tired of my face and my voice until this gets fixed.”

The House hearing was meant to address rising crime and repeat offenders, but Federico’s speech turned it into a moment of reckoning. While Democrats called for more resources for prosecutors, Republicans pointed to a systemic failure of accountability. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) declared, “This is not a money issue — this is a policy issue.”

Federico agreed. “You have the power. We put you into power to do what you have to do. We’re asking you. We’re begging you all to stop this.”

In his closing, Federico reminded lawmakers how long his daughter’s body lay on the floor — seven hours — before anyone realized she was dead. The killer? Off using her debit card. “And that pure criminal? An hour later, went on a spending spree with her debit card. When they saw his face on a video, they didn’t have to do a check. He was arrested so many times they knew who he was. They knew exactly where to go get him.”

“Pathetic,” Federico said. “Absolutely pathetic that I’m even here today.”

Federico — a grieving father turned reluctant activist — declared war on a justice system that let his daughter’s killer roam free, declaring: “You woke up a beast. You pissed off the wrong daddy.”

And America heard.

Complete transcript below:

My daughter was Logan Federico. She was 22, visiting friends at the University of South Carolina. I know y’all have kids. I’m just curious. Here’s what I need you to do. When I tell you this story, think about your kids. Think about your child coming home from a night out with their friends. Laying down, going to sleep. Feeling somebody come into the room and wake them, and drag her out of bed, naked, forced on her knees, with her hands over her head, begging for her life. Begging for her hero, her father. Me, that couldn’t be there. She was five-foot-three, she weighed 115 pounds.

Bye! Dead. Gone. Why? Because Alexander Devonte Dickey, who was arrested 39 godd*** times, 25 felonies, was on the street. How about that. How good are we doing for our family? How good are you doing for your kids? He should have been in jail for over 140 years for all the crimes he committed. You know how much time he spent in prison? A little over 600 days in 10 years. He’s only 30 years old. He was committing 2.65 crimes a year since he was 15 years old but nobody could figure out that he couldn’t be rehabilitated? Well, you’d have to put him in prison to see if he could be rehabilitated. Isn’t that the idea of prison? But no.

My daughter wanted to be a teacher; she finally figured it out two weeks before she was executed. And I haven’t heard a damn word from Barry Gipson (South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Solicitor) in South Carolina. Not one word. Four months, no communication. His biggest concern was that he was pissed off at my interview and how I made him look on the Fox News channel with Trey Gowdy. How pathetic is that, that we’re letting our 22-year-old kid visiting friends — it’s all she ever wanted to do was visit friends — and she literally was executed while on her knees, begging for her life. Her name’s Logan Federico. Not Iryna.

And you will not forget her, I promise you. You will be sick and tired of my face and my voice until this gets fixed. I will fight until my last breath for my daughter. You need to fight for the rest of our children, the rest of the innocents and stop protecting the people that keep taking them from us. Please. You have the power. We put you into power to do what you have to do. We’re asking you. We’re begging you all to stop this.

39 crimes in ten years; 25 felonies. Can anybody here explain to me how possibly he could be on the street? Possibly be on the street? How is it possible? I could sit down every night and explain the whole process of how it failed, how South Carolina failed Logan, how lack of communication …

What y’all did? You woke up a beast. And you pissed off the wrong daddy. Because I’m gonna put it out there. And I’m not gonna be quiet until somebody helps. Logan deserves to be heard. Everyone on this panel deserves to be heard. And we will. Trust me. My daughter laid on that floor for seven hours before somebody in that house recognized that something was wrong. And that pure criminal? An hour later, went on a spending spree with her debit card. When they saw his face on a video, they didn’t have to do a check. He was arrested so many times they knew who he was. They knew exactly where to go get him. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic that I am here today. Thank you for your time.