DEATH PROBE
‘Killer’ of Dr Devon Hoover charged with murder after Detroit neurosurgeon shot to death in attic in chilling mystery
Hoover's alleged murderer is also accused of killing a second man months after the doctor's death
A SUSPECT has finally been named in the murder of a beloved doctor after he was shot and killed over a year ago.
Desmond Burks, 34, has been charged with the murder of neurosurgeon Devon Hoover.
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Hoover was found shot to death and wrapped in a sheet in the attic of his Detroit home in April 2023 after his family called for a welfare check on the 53-year-old.
“He was face-down," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"He was only wearing socks. He was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet."
Worthy said that Hoover and Burks were in an "intimate relationship" at the time, but didn't give a motive for the shooting.
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The alleged murderer faces eight counts related to the killing, including first-degree premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, Worthy said.
Burks was charged with another murder in May in connection to a road rage incident that left one man dead.
ROAD RAGE 'KILLING'
Cops said that driver Reda Saleh, 67, bumped into the back of Burks' car, which sparked an argument leading Burks to deliver a deadly punch.
He then allegedly left Saleh lying unresponsive in the road. The driver later died in the hospital from his head injury.
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Burks was charged with second-degree murder in the case.
Worthy says the two murders are unrelated.
Chilling mystery as prominent neurosurgeon Devon Hoover found murdered in his home and shattered colleagues speak
Police said the investigation into Hoover's murder spanned five states, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, and California.
Cops also searched for the killer across three countries, including the US, England, and France.
[Hoover] was only wearing socks. He was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet."
Kym Worthy
Worthy said investigators executed 134 search warrants and examined mountains of digital evidence.
REVEALING TEXTS
Cellphone evidence revealed that Hoover and Burks had exchanged about 4,000 text messages.
"On occasion, Desmond Burks would charge Dr. Hoover for these sexual services," Worthy said.
She said on the day of Hoover's murder, the doctor's phone traveled from his home to the area of Burks' home, then back to his own house, and then back again to Burks' home for good.
PERSON OF INTEREST
Worthy said that almost immediately after the doctor's death, fraudulent transactions showed up on his bank accounts.
Police said that Hoover’s wallet, phone, money, and credit cards were missing from his home, as well as at least one watch.
Charges against Desmond Burks
Desmond Burks faces the following charges:
- First-degree premeditated murder
- Felony murder
- Larceny of over $20,000
- Use of a computer to commit a crime
- Possession of a firearm by a felon
- Three second-offense felony firearm violations
Investigators found a $7,500 Cartier watch that Hoover had bought the day before his death when they searched a home linked to Burks in April 2023, Worthy said.
Burks was arrested as a person of interest on April 28, 2023, but released on May 2.
He is now being held in the Wayne County Jail on a $1 million bond. He will be arraigned on Thursday.
YEAR-LONG MYSTERY
Hoover's autopsy revealed the doctor was shot twice in the back of the head before his body was wrapped up and stuffed into his home's third-floor crawlspace.
The mystery deepened when cops said there were no signs of forced entry into his home, leading them to believe that Hoover knew his killer.
Investigators said at the time that the killing may have been sparked by a domestic incident that turned violent.
Timeline of Devon Hoover's murder case
- April 22, 2023 - Police receive complaint about Devon Hoover's Range Rover
- April 23, 2023 - Police find Hoover dead in his home during welfare check
- April 28, 2023 - Desmond Burks is brought in as person of interest in the case
- April 29, 2023 - Break-in at Hoover’s home
- May 2, 2023 - Burks released from custody.
- April 17, 2024 - Burks allegedly punches Reda Saleh during road rage incident and leaves him unresponsive in the road
- May 11, 2024 - Saleh dies from head injury
- May 15, 2024 - Burks arrested and charged in Saleh's murder
- August 7, 2024 - Burks charged in Hoover murder case
It was revealed on Wednesday that Hoover's car had been dumped at a separate location a day before his body was found.
BLOODY CAR
Detroit police received a parking complaint on April 22, 2023 of a white Range Rover blocking a driveway.
When they investigated the car, parked about five miles from Hoover's home, they saw blood on the inside.
After learning the vehicle belonged to Hoover once it was towed, cops visited his house and found that the property's back gate was left wide open.
However, they couldn't get ahold of anyone at the house as Hoover's body was already in the attic upstairs at that point.
WELFARE CHECK
Worthy said the next day, police went to the house again after receiving a call from Hoover's family member, who became worried when the doctor didn't show up to visit his dying mom in Indiana.
Cops noticed blood on the side of the house's back door and forced their way inside to find Hoover's body in the crawl space.
A week later, the case became more complicated when someone broke into Hoover's home on the night of April 29. It's unclear if anything was stolen at the time.
Police didn't provide an update about the break-in on Wednesday's briefing.
However, police shared that they found an image of Burks parking Hoover's Range Rover during their investigation - and found he left a fingerprint in the SUV.
Detroit Police Chief James White said at the press conference that officials are confident in the case going forward.
REMEMBERED IN DETROIT COMMUNITY
Hoover worked as a certified neurosurgeon at the Ascension Hospital in Detroit, where he specialized in neck and back disorders.
Many members of the community including his patients, co-workers, and neighbors, spoke out to remember Hoover in the weeks after his shocking death.
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"I thank him because my life in the last 15 years could’ve been way different without him," one of Hoover's patients named Julia told ABC affiliate WXYZ.
“A loving son and brother, a brilliant, accomplished surgeon, an unrivaled collector and caretaker of all things beautiful, and a champion of art and culture," his neighbor Paddy Lynch remembered him in a post on Facebook.
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