Imagine sitting in a room, mourning your child, only to hear a politician fumble their identity in a public hearing. That’s the gut-wrenching moment Stephen Federico endured when Democratic North Carolina Rep. Deborah Ross mixed up his murdered daughter, Logan Federico, with another victim during a House Judiciary Committee field hearing in Charlotte.
This incident, which unfolded during a discussion on violent crime victims, encapsulates a heartbreaking error by Ross, criticism of Democratic crime policies by Republican Rep. Mark Harris, and an apology that couldn’t erase the sting of the mistake.
The Daily Caller reported that Logan Federico, a 22-year-old, tragically lost her life on May 3, 2025, during a home invasion while visiting friends in Columbia, South Carolina. Reports indicate she was shot by Alexander Dickey, a 30-year-old man charged in her death.
Dickey’s history paints a troubling picture of leniency in the justice system. Arrested in 2014 for multiple burglary charges, he faced serious accusations, including first-degree burglary, which carries a hefty minimum sentence of 15 years. Yet, by November of that year, he pleaded guilty to a lesser, non-violent charge and received a suspended 10-year sentence with probation.
The pattern continued into 2015, when Dickey faced additional burglary charges, one of which was dropped while he pleaded guilty to a reduced third-degree offense. Fast forward to 2023, and he again dodged a violent charge, pleading guilty to another third-degree burglary despite a prior record that somehow slipped through the cracks, according to the Eleventh Circuit Solicitor.
One can’t help but wonder if stricter consequences earlier on might have kept Dickey off the streets the night Logan lost her life. It’s a question that haunts, especially when progressive policies seem to prioritize second chances over public safety.
Fast forward to the hearing in Charlotte on September 29, 2025, titled “Victims of Violent Crime,” where Stephen Federico sat as a witness, a photo of his daughter Logan displayed before him. In a stunning misstep, Rep. Ross pointed to Logan’s image and confused her with Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee also tragically murdered in a separate incident in Charlotte.
Stephen Federico couldn’t stay silent, interrupting with raw emotion, “This is my daughter, okay? This is Logan Federico.”
Ross scrambled to recover, stammering, “I am so sorry,” over and over, but the damage was done. It’s hard not to sympathize with a father’s anguish—how does a lawmaker not know the face of the victim they’re meant to honor? This isn’t just a slip; it’s a glaring sign of disconnect.
Meanwhile, Iryna Zarutska’s story is equally devastating, as the young refugee was allegedly stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail by a 34-year-old man, DeCarlos Brown Jr., just weeks before the hearing. Both Logan and Iryna represent lives cut short by senseless violence, a point that should unite lawmakers, not divide them with errors.
Republican Rep. Mark Harris, representing Federico’s district, didn’t mince words in critiquing the incident, suggesting Democratic approaches to crime are failing victims. His point stings with a bitter truth—when policies lean too soft, the body count of preventable tragedies seems to grow.
Harris’s spokesperson confirmed Federico as a constituent, underscoring the personal stake in this story for the Republican lawmaker. It’s a reminder that behind every policy debate are real people, real grief, and real consequences.
Ross did attempt to make amends, looking directly at Federico and acknowledging the need to prevent such deaths, but her words couldn’t erase the initial blunder. Efforts to reach her office for further comment, as reported by the Daily Caller, have gone unanswered, leaving questions about accountability lingering.
For conservatives, this moment isn’t just about one mistake—it’s a microcosm of a broader failure by some Democrats to grasp the human cost of their crime policies.
While empathy for Ross’s embarrassment is warranted, the focus must remain on ensuring justice systems prioritize victims over offenders. Isn’t that the least we owe to families like the Federicos?