by JENN WOOD
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As ready as they would ever be, the family of Logan Federico gathered in a Richland County, South Carolina courtroom on Friday (November 6, 2026), prepared to face the man accused of murdering her and hear the terms of his anticipated plea agreement.
Her mother sat with a framed photograph of her daughter held tightly in her lap, wiping an eye with a tissue.
Unfortunately, justice remains elusive. The anticipated plea from Alexander Devonte Dickey, accused of killing the 22-year-old student in the prime of her life during a burglary last year, never came.
After nearly an hour of waiting, the family learned the hearing would have to be rescheduled.
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The explanation given in court: technical difficulties involving court reporting – accompanied by a reference to South Carolina’s shortage of court reporters.
The scheduled November 6, 2026 hearing before S.C. circuit court judge Heath Taylor followed fifth circuit solicitor Byron Gipson’s confirmation to FITSNews the previous day that Dickey had agreed to a plea deal. As we reported Thursday, the agreement’s terms had not been disclosed.
Before the hearing, Gipson approached the Federico family and shook their hands. Logan’s mother held her daughter’s photograph as the family waited.
“We’re going to be at ease for about fifteen minutes,” the court was told.
During the delay, an assistant solicitor approached the family and spoke with them before accompanying them out of the courtroom.
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“He may just need a little time to talk to his lawyers,” the prosecutor was overheard telling family members.
After returning to the courtroom, Federico hugged Columbia, S.C. police chief Skip Holbrook. He then gathered the rest of Logan’s extended family, and they left the courtroom again.
At approximately 9:53 a.m. EST, attorneys reentered the courtroom. The explanation that followed attributed the postponement to the aforementioned court reporting issue – although it did not explain how that contributed to the alleged “technical issues.” FITSNews will seek records and additional information about the circumstances of Friday’s postponement, including through public records requests.
Gipson did not elaborate on the situation, saying only that the hearing had been “rescheduled to a later date.”
For the Federico family, the postponement extended a wait for justice that began eighteen months ago — and has included a public fight over how the case should be prosecuted.
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RELATED | Plea Deal Confirmed In Logan Federico Murder Case
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According to police, Dickey broke into the Cypress Street home where Logan was staying while visiting friends on May 3, 2025, and fatally shot the 22-year-old. A graduate of Cuthbertson High School in Waxhaw, North Carolina, Logan planned to continue her education at the College of Charleston and become an elementary school teacher.
In the months following her murder, her father has demanded accountability for the failures he believes allowed her accused killer to remain free despite repeated encounters with the criminal justice system.
As FITSNews previously reported, missing convictions and inaccurate criminal history information affected the handling of Dickey’s prior cases. In one pivotal burglary case, he was sentenced as a first-time offender because convictions from other counties were missing from his official record.
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Federico took those concerns to Congress in September 2025, urging lawmakers to address incomplete criminal records and the repeated release of offenders. He also pressed prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in his daughter’s case.
The prosecution subsequently became the subject of a public dispute between Gipson and attorney general Alan Wilson, who urged the Midlands prosecutor to seek a capital sentence. Gipson maintained that his office needed to complete its review of the evidence before making that decision.
Confirmation of a plea agreement this week signaled a potential resolution, although its terms — including the charges Dickey would admit to and any sentencing recommendation — had not been publicly disclosed.
Friday was supposed to bring those details into the courtroom and give the family a clearer understanding of what justice for Logan would look like. Instead, her mother sat holding her photograph as the anticipated hearing gave way to another postponement. The plea remained unheard, its terms undisclosed and the family still waiting.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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