S.C. AG Urges Death Penalty; Solicitor Objects

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has urged Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson to seek the death penalty for Alexander Devonte Dickey, who is accused of fatally shooting 22‑year‑old Logan Federico during a May home invasion and an alleged four‑day crime spree. In a Sept. 30 letter Wilson said the case includes statutory aggravating factors — including that the killing occurred during a first‑degree burglary — and cited Dickey’s extensive arrest record dating to 2014 as evidence he has not been rehabilitated. Wilson gave Gipson an Oct. 10 deadline to decide and offered that the Attorney General’s Office would assume the case if the solicitor declines. Gipson pushed back, calling the deadline “reckless, irresponsible and unethical,” saying his office is still reviewing forensic evidence and noting many prior arrests occurred outside the Fifth Circuit, which he said requires comprehensive review before making a capital decision. Federico’s father has publicly supported seeking the death penalty and criticized perceived “soft on crime” policies and the solicitor’s handling of communications, increasing public and political scrutiny of the case.