His body was found in an attic crawl space after he failed to visit his dying mother; he allegedly had an “intimate relationship” with the suspect sometimes charged for “sexual services.”
More than a year after a Michigan neurosurgeon was found dead in his Detroit home, a man who he allegedly had an “intimate relationship” with has been arrested for his murder.
Desmond Burks, 34, (right) has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder of Dr. Devon Hoover (left), possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as larceny of over $20,000. Burks is already facing a second-degree murder charge for an unrelated case, after he allegedly punched someone who hit his car and then left him in the street in April 2024; that victim later died in the hospital.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Burks’ arrest during a press conference on Wednesday, per ABC News.
Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office
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Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was discovered dead in the third-floor attic crawlspace of his Detroit home on April 23, 2023. His body was found after he failed to visit his dying mother in Indiana and a welfare check was requested by his family. Per Worthy, he was “only wearing socks” and “wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet” when he was found; he had been shot twice in the head.
Authorities zoned in Burks after analyzing Hoover’s cell phone, which had about 4,000 text messages between him and the suspect. Per Worthy, the pair had an “intimate relationship” and Hoover sometimes paid Burks for “sexual services.”
Burks, confirmed prosecutors, was also the previously-unnamed person taken into custody in May 2023 as a person of interest, but released.
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On the day of Hoover’s murder, his cell phone showed he traveled from his home to the area near where Burks lived. The phone went back to his own home, then to Burks’ again, before going to a nearby mall — but never returned to his house. Hoover’s SUV, meanwhile, was actually found the day before his body — with blood inside — abandoned near Burks’ home.
Authorities said the victim’s wallet, money, cell phone, credit cards and two watches retailing $6,000 and $7,500 were all missing from his home, while transactions continued on his bank accounts for days after his death. One of the Cartier watches was allegedly found in Burks’ home, said officials … while the other was found in another residence linked to the suspect.
“Physical evidence was discovered directly linking Dr. Hoover’s property to Desmond Burks on the date of the homicide,” said Worthy. “We feel very comfortable, extremely comfortable, at this point in time that we can prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Burks will be arraigned on Thursday for the murder case; he’s being held on a $1 million bond.
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