Authorities announced Wednesday that a man involved in an “intimate relationship” with a Michigan neurosurgeon has been charged with the doctor’s murder.
Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was found shot dead in his Detroit home on April 23, 2023, according to prosecutors. He had been shot twice in the head, and his body was discovered in the third-floor attic crawl space, said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
“He was only wearing socks and was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet,” Worthy revealed.
Police discovered Hoover’s body during a well-being check requested by his family after he failed to visit his dying mother in Indiana, Worthy added.
Cellphone analysis showed Hoover had exchanged about 4,000 text messages with a man named Desmond Burks, with whom he had an “intimate relationship,” Worthy said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“At times, Desmond Burks would charge Dr. Hoover for sexual services,” Worthy stated.
On the day of the murder, Hoover’s phone moved from his home to Burks’ residence, then back to Hoover’s home, and again to Burks’ location, Worthy explained.
Following the murder, Hoover’s phone, wallet, and two designer watches valued at $6,000 and $7,500 were missing from his home, and numerous fraudulent transactions were made from his bank accounts, Worthy noted. Hoover had purchased one of the watches a day before his death, she added.
“Physical evidence directly linked Dr. Hoover’s property to Desmond Burks on the day of the homicide,” Worthy said.
Burks, 34, faces charges including first-degree premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He has also been charged with larceny of over $20,000. Burks is scheduled for arraignment on Thursday.
Additionally, Burks is facing a second-degree murder charge in an unrelated case involving a fatal road rage incident, Worthy said. In May, a man’s car bumped into Burks’ vehicle, and after a verbal confrontation, Burks allegedly punched the man, leaving him lying in the street, she said.
Hoover’s family expressed relief in a statement: “Today, we feel relief for a step towards justice.”
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“He was an exceptional man—a doctor, brother, son, uncle, and friend who invested in our lives with unwavering kindness and generosity,” the family said. “Although nothing will ever reverse our loss, we are grateful that someone will be held accountable for Devon’s death.”
