Man in 'intimate relationship' with neurosurgeon charged in his murder

A man in an "intimate relationship" with a Michigan neurosurgeon has been charged in the doctor's slaying, authorities announced Wednesday.

Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was found shot dead in his Detroit home on April 23, 2023, prosecutors said. He was shot twice in the head and his body was found in the third-floor attic crawl space, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.

"He was only wearing socks. He was wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet," Worthy said.

Police found the doctor when they responded to his home for a well-being check requested by the family after Hoover failed to show up to visit his dying mother in Indiana, Worthy said.

Cellphone analysis revealed Hoover had about 4,000 text messages with a man named Desmond Burks, with whom Hoover had an "intimate relationship," Worthy said at a news conference Wednesday.

"On occasion, Desmond Burks would charge Dr. Hoover for these sexual services," Worthy said.

The day of the murder, the doctor's phone traveled from his home to the area of Burks' home, then back to his own home, and then back again to the area of Burks' home, Worthy said.

After the murder, Hoover's phone, wallet and two designer watches worth $6,000 and $7,500 were missing from his home, and multiple fraudulent financial transactions were made from the doctor's bank accounts, Worthy said. Hoover bought one of those watches one day before he was killed, she said.

"Physical evidence was discovered directly linking Dr. Hoover's property to Desmond Burks on the date of the homicide," Worthy said.

Burks, 34, faces charges including first-degree premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, Worthy said. He was also charged with larceny of over $20,000. Burks will be arraigned on Thursday, she said.

Burks also faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with an unrelated case -- a deadly road range incident, Worthy said. In May, a man's car bumped into the back of Burks' car, and after a verbal altercation, Burks allegedly punched the man and left him lying in the street, she said.

Hoover's family said in a statement, "Today, we feel relief for a step towards justice."

"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."