Murder charges filed in death of Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover

A man who police say occasionally charged prominent Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover for sexual services is charged with killing the doctor in April 2023 before stealing over $95,000 from him in cash and valuables.

While being investigated in Hoover's slaying, Desmond Burks, 34, of Detroit was charged in a separate killing that happened nearly a year later during a road rage incident involving a Dearborn man.

Burks, 34, was charged with murder in Hoover's killing, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Wednesday. The lengthy investigation was described as a massive undertaking, spanning five states and three countries, and involving numerous terabytes of data. 

Detroit Police Chief James White, joined by Worthy at a news conference, thanked the officers who worked the Hoover case, and also thanked family and loved ones of Hoover for their trust and patience. 

“The loss of Dr. Hoover remains a tragedy that has left a void in our community,” White said.

Hoover's family said in a statement that they felt relief after the charges against Burks — "a step towards justice," as they described it —were announced. They feel grateful for police, too, they said. But mostly, "we feel the loss of Devon once again," the Hoover family wrote.

"He was an exceptional man — a doctor, brother, son, uncle, and friend who invested in our lives with unwavering kindness and generosity. Although nothing will ever reverse our loss, we are grateful that someone will be held accountable for Devon’s death. We continue to rest in faith that God’s goodness will prevail over this tragedy."

And his sisters previously wrote in an email to the Free Press: "Nothing will ever compensate us for our loss. … If we could speak to the perpetrators of this horrendous crime ... we would simply say, 'Why? Please tell us: What have you gained?'"

Burks is accused of shooting Hoover twice in the back of the head. Hoover was found April 23, 2023, facedown, wearing only socks, wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet in the crawl space of his Boston-Edison Historic District mansion. 

His family had called police requesting a welfare check when he did not show up to visit his dying mother in Indiana. 

When Hoover’s body was discovered, his cell phone, wallet, money, credit cards and designer watches – the Cartier “Ballon Bleu” Watch purchased for $6,625 in 2020 and the Cartier “Pasha” Watch, purchased for $7,323 the day before he was killed – were missing.

Police using search warrants later found both watches in homes associated with Burks.

Almost immediately after the killing, Burks allegedly made fraudulent transactions with Hoover’s credit cards. Burks is accused of stealing over $30,000 in CashApp and bank fraud.

Hoover and Burks had been intimate — about 4,000 text messages were exchanged between the two, Worthy said. 

Burks was charged with first-degree, premeditated murder, felony murder, larceny of $20,000, using a computer to commit a crime, felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of felony firearm.

Burks was previously charged with second-degree murder in an unrelated case after he allegedly punched Reda Saleh, 67, of Dearborn during a road range incident on April 17 at West Chicago Street and Greenfield Road in Detroit and left him lying on the ground, unresponsive. 

Worthy said that at the time of Burks’ arrest in Saleh’s death, the case against Burks in Hoover’s death was “nowhere near ready” for him to be charged in the neurosurgeon's killing.

It took investigators over a year to build a case in the Hoover killing for Worthy to feel she could prosecute the case against Burks “beyond a reasonable doubt.” 

“We take our time. On cases that we can charge quickly, we charge quickly. In cases that we can’t, it doesn’t matter to me what people say — we’re going to take our time to make sure that we get it right,” Worthy said.

Burks is set to be arraigned Thursday in 36th District Court in the Hoover case. His lawyer in the Saleh case requested a competency hearing, which will take place next month.

More:Mystery looms around death of beloved Detroit neurosurgeon

Worthy: Additional evidence points to Burks

The investigative report against Burks in Hoover’s homicide is 181 pages, Worthy said, and she explained why the case has been both complex and lengthy.

The investigation involved five states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Texas and California; and three countries: the U.S., England and France.

Over 71 law enforcement officers were involved in the investigation that amassed several terabytes of data, some tasked with reviewing hundreds of hours of video footage, interviewing over 87 witnesses, extracting data from 57 cell phones, collecting over 300 pieces of evidence and executing over 134 search warrants.  

The day before Hoover’s body was found, officers had gone to his house after a report elsewhere of a white Range Rover blocking a driveway on Coyle Street. 

Blood was observed in the Range Rover, which was registered to Hoover. Officers at his home saw the driveway gate wide open but could not contact anyone inside, Worthy said. On the date of Hoover’s killing, Burks was seen on surveillance footage parking the neurosurgeon’s Range Rover on Coyle Street. 

In addition to Hoover’s stolen Cartier watches found by police at addresses associated with Burks, cell phone data and other evidence places Hoover’s cell phone in the same location of Burks.

The day Hoover was killed, his phone traveled from his home on W. Boston Boulevard to Burks’ home on Sussex Street. The phone traveled again to Hoover’s home and back to Sussex before traveling to Fairlane Mall in Dearborn, Worthy said. 

Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at asahouri@freepress.com.