Dad Fights Back: Coed Found in Pool of Blood, USC Fraternity Row Neighborhood

Summary

Podcast Summary: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Dad Fights Back: Coed Found in Pool of Blood, USC Fraternity Row Neighborhood
Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Nancy Grace
Guest: Mr. Federico (Logan’s father)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

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Overview

This emotionally charged episode centers on the brutal murder of Logan Federico, a 22-year-old University of South Carolina student, who was found dead in her home near fraternity row. Nancy Grace invites Mr. Federico, Logan’s father, to discuss the devastating impact of the crime, his fight for justice, and the systemic failures that allowed the alleged killer, Alexander Devonte Dickey, to roam free after a lengthy criminal history. The conversation is raw, personal, and pushes for legal accountability.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime and Its Aftermath

• [01:43] The Victim and The Crime

  • Logan Federico, described repeatedly as a “beautiful coed,” was murdered in the most violent and humiliating way.
  • The killer forced her out of bed naked at gunpoint, made her kneel begging for her life, and shot her at close range:

    “She woke and approached him. And he made her get on her knees, naked, with her hands up in front of her, stuck a shotgun in her left cage...and pulled the trigger, leaving an inch and a half hole in her chest. That’s what happened. Was a premeditated execution.”
    — Mr. Federico, 02:48

• [03:51] Parental Empathy and Loss

  • Nancy asks listeners to connect personally, imagining their own children taken this way:

    “Think about your child coming home… laying down, going to sleep… forced on her knees with her hands over her head, begging for her life, begging for her hero, her father, me...”
    — Nancy Grace, 03:51

  • Logan’s father punctuates with the single word that haunts him:

    “Bang.”
    — Mr. Federico, 04:38

2. Systemic Failure: The Killer’s Criminal History

• [04:41] Repeat Offender's Freedom

  • Alexander Devonte Dickey had 39 arrests and 25 felonies. He was out of prison after serving less than two years.
  • Mr. Federico highlights the failed justice system that enabled Dickey’s access to Logan:

    “He should have been in jail for over 140 years for all the crimes he committed… 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.”
    — Mr. Federico, 04:41

• [07:10] Accountability and Community Outrage

  • Mr. Federico is determined to fight for Logan and all families:

    “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.”
    — Mr. Federico, 06:29

3. The Fight for Justice & The Legal Response

• [07:18] The Death Penalty Question

  • Grace asks if prosecutors will seek the death penalty. Mr. Federico doubts it:

    “From what I read, the research I do, no, they’re not going to.”
    — Mr. Federico, 07:28

• [07:46] Prosecutorial Reluctance

  • The solicitor has never sought the death penalty, based on personal beliefs rather than statutory guidelines.

    “The elected district attorney doesn’t, quote, believe in the death penalty, from what I understand.”
    — Nancy Grace, 07:57

• [08:04] A Call to Apply the Law

  • Mr. Federico demands adherence to the law and appropriate punishment:

    “This isn’t one of those things where you’re going to come to me and say, hey, he’ll admit to the murder if you let him live. No, thanks, no deal. He deserves the death penalty because he took someone’s life. He can’t be rehabilitated. He’s proven that time and time again.”
    — Mr. Federico, 08:04-08:29

• [09:53] Shared Blame

  • Mr. Federico implicates not only the killer but also fraternity members, the gun owner, local law enforcement, and the legal system for their roles in allowing Dickey's access and opportunity:

    “...the owner of the gun, to the sheriff’s department, the frigging solicitors, the judges that all let a career criminal on the streets… they just didn’t pull the trigger. But they gave him the opportunity to do so, and that is it. Period.”
    — Mr. Federico, 09:53

4. Systemic Indifference & the Personal Toll

• [10:07] Justice as a Political Game

  • Mr. Federico decries prosecutors’ focus on easy convictions rather than tough decisions:

    “What gets votes are convictions. And you know what easy convictions are. When you make a deal with somebody, that’s what you call padding the numbers.”
    — Mr. Federico, 10:07

• [10:19] Institutional Failure

  • He details the “process of how it failed, how South Carolina failed Logan,” emphasizing communication breakdowns and the need for action, not just promises.

• [11:23] Tragedy Compounded by Delays

  • Logan lay dead for seven hours before anyone discovered her.
  • The killer used her debit card soon after, and police instantly recognized him from security footage.

    “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’m here today.”
    — Mr. Federico, 11:23

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the brutal reality (“Bang.”):
  — Mr. Federico, 04:38

• On demanding reform and public engagement:

  “We put you in. The power to do what you have to do.”
  — Mr. Federico, 07:10

• On institutional complicity:

  “There are many people in the Lexington area that are responsible for Logan’s execution. They have blood on their hands. They just didn’t pull the trigger.”
  — Mr. Federico, 08:54

• Nancy Grace’s closing show of solidarity:

  “We wait as justice unfolds…”
  — Nancy Grace, 11:47

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 01:43 — Nancy begins core coverage of Logan’s murder
• 02:19 — Mr. Federico recounts how he learned of the crime
• 02:48 — Graphic, detailed description of the crime
• 04:41 — The criminal history of Alexander Devonte Dickey
• 07:18 — Will the state seek the death penalty?
• 08:04 — Legal and moral debate on the death penalty and responsibility
• 09:53 — Responsibility of the community, gun owner, and institutions
• 10:19 — Mr. Federico’s call for accountability and criticism of the justice system
• 11:23 — The delayed discovery of Logan and the aftermath

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Tone and Language

• The episode is somber, urgent, and emotionally raw.
• Mr. Federico alternates between grief-stricken detail and fiery calls for justice.
• Nancy Grace supports parental outrage and pushes for accountability, maintaining a tone of advocacy and solidarity throughout.

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Summary Takeaway:
This episode serves as both a heartbreaking account of a senseless, violent crime and a rallying cry for systemic change. It highlights a family’s suffering, a father’s resolve, and the entrenched failures of the criminal justice system that let a repeat offender destroy another life. Nancy Grace’s platform amplifies Mr. Federico’s quest for answers, justice, and prevention, making the episode a powerful plea for listeners’ empathy and action.

Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

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[Nancy Grace]

Cmintmobile.com Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

A.

[Nancy Grace]

Beautiful co ed found dead in a pool of blood. She was murdered. She was forced out of bed naked to kneel at the feet of her killer. And he shoots her point blank in cold blood. He comes in, finds this beautiful girl, a co ed and murders her. Now she's dead. Her father looking for answers. Joining me right now, Logan's dad, Mr. Federico. Thank you for being with us.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

Thank you for having me. Really appreciate you taking the time to care about Logan's story.

[Nancy Grace]

Please do not thank me, number one. Okay? Talking to you inspires us. It angers us. It gives us the energy to keep going. So please tell me what happened, starting with the moment you learned something very horrible had occurred.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

Well, Obviously, you know May 3rd changed our lives for the rest of our lives. But one thing everybody has to make. I want to make something perfectly clear. And we found this out a couple weeks Ago. My beautiful daughter wasn't murdered in her sleep. Okay? When he entered the room, she woke and approached him. And he made her get on her knees, naked, with her hands up in front of her, stuck a shotgun in her left cage, under her breast and pulled the trigger, leaving an inch and a half hole in her chest. That's what happened. Was a premeditated execution. The day we found out that changed everything, May 3rd was a horrible day. But at the end of the day, what we're finding out and realizing now makes it traumatically worse.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

How many of 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 in 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.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

Bang.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

Dead, gone. Why? Because Alexander Devonte Dickey, who was arrested 39 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 Byron Gibson in South Carolina. Not one word. Four months. No communication. His biggest concern was that he was pissed off about 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? That'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 Irina. 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 in.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

The power to do what you have to do.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

We're asking you, we're begging you all to stop this.

[Nancy Grace]

Mr. Federico, what is your message tonight? And do you believe the state will seek the death penalty in this case?

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

You know, that's a tough question we've had. Like I said, we've had no contact with him since May 5th. From what I read, the research I do, no, they're not going to.

[Nancy Grace]

Why?

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

From what I understand, he's never asked for the death penalty in any cases. He doesn't believe in the death penalty, so.

[Nancy Grace]

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

What?

[Nancy Grace]

The elected district attorney doesn't, quote, believe in the death penalty, from what I understand.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

And my point to that is this. If you follow the law, okay, he dots all the I's and crosses all the T's for this punishment. Like this punishment fits the crime. This isn't one of those things where you're going to come to me and say, hey, he'll admit to the murder if you let him live. No, thanks, no deal. He deserves the death penalty because he took someone's life. He's not. He can't be rehabilitated. He's proven that time and time again. These solicitors have lessened his charges, so he spent zero time in jail most of the time. And this is why we're at where we are. This is why he had access to my daughter. This is why. It's not because my daughter was at University of South Carolina. It's because that piece of was, okay? And there's a reason why he was there. There's a reason why he has a gun. There's a reason why he had access. The key word to this case is access, period. And there are many people in the Lexington area that are responsible for Logan's execution. They have blood on their hands. They just didn't pull the trigger. But they gave him the opportunity to do so, and that is it. Period.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

They could back it up all they.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

Want for the rest of their lives. They should feel guilty for the rest of their lives. This should haunt them. From the frat brothers to the owner.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

Of the gun, to.

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

To the sheriff's department, the frigging solicitors, the judges that all let a career criminal on the streets that didn't have to be there and factually should not have been there.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

But you know what?

[Mr. Federico (Logan's Dad)]

You know what? Gets votes, Nancy. What gets votes are convictions. And you know what easy convictions are. When you make a deal with somebody, that's what you call padding the numbers.

[Nancy Grace (Host)]

39 crimes in 10 years, 25 felonies. Can anybody here explain to me, well, how possibly he could be on the street, Possibly be on the street. How is it possible I could sit down in a room and I could explain the whole process of how it failed, how South Carolina failed Logan. Okay. 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 the floor for seven hours before somebody in that house recognized that. That something was wrong. And that cure 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'm here today. Thank you for your time.

[Nancy Grace]

We wait as justice unfolds. Nancy Grace signing off. Good night, friend.

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[Nancy Grace]

This is an iHeart podcast.