A man arrested in May after being accused of fatally punching a 67-year-old driver in a road rage incident has now been charged with the murder of a beloved Detroit neurosurgeon found dead in his home last year.
Desmond Burks, 34, was charged this week with first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, robbery and other crimes in the April 2023 shooting of Dr. Devon Hoover.
Authorities discovered Hoover’s body in the crawl space of his home after a relative called police and requested a welfare check when he was unable to get to Indiana to see his dying mother, authorities said. The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office said Hoover was shot multiple times in the head and ruled his death a homicide.
The murder shook the community and many people, including former patients, family and friends, expressed their shock and grief. A Facebook page titled “Justice for Dr. Devon Hoover” was flooded with memories of the doctor. But as the months turned into a year without arrests, many of the posts began to express the community’s frustration.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said at a news conference Wednesday that the case was complicated “by the fact that many witnesses were extremely reluctant to come forward to share confidential and personal information.” She said investigators uncovered about 4,000 text messages between Burks and Hoover and revealed the two had an “intimate relationship.”
Worthy said Burks “would charge Dr. Hoover for these sexual services” but declined to provide further information.
Hoover was wearing only socks and his body was wrapped in a “blood-soaked” rug when authorities found him in his home. His cellphone, wallet, cash, credit cards and designer watches were missing, Worthy said at a news conference.
Almost immediately after his murder, several fraudulent transactions were made in Hoover’s bank accounts, the prosecutor said.
Worthy said “numerous pieces” of evidence place Hoover’s cellphone in the same location as Burks. Surveillance video from the day of the murder also captured Burks parking Hoover’s Range Rover. The doctor’s designer watches were found in homes linked to Burks, she said.
Police Chief James E. White said Hoover’s death is a “tragedy that has left a void in our community.”
“Thank you to Dr. Devon Hoover’s family, friends and loved ones for their trust and patience as our law enforcement officers conducted this investigation,” he said in a statement. declaration.
Worthy told reporters that “it took a lot of work” to get to the point where they felt comfortable enough to accuse Burks.
The reason remains unclear.
When authorities charged Burks with Hoover’s death, he was already jailed on second-degree murder charges in the death of Reda Saleh. Police said Saleh’s vehicle rear-ended Burks’ car on April 17. The two men exited the vehicles and began a verbal altercation.
During the argument, Burks allegedly punched Saleh, “leaving him lying in the street before fleeing the scene,” police said. he said. Saleh, 67, was found unconscious suffering from head trauma, Worthy said. He died from his injuries on May 11.
Burks is being held on a $1 million bond. Attorney information was not available to him.
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