by
Dr. Devon Hoover
Desmond Burks pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder in the slaying of neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover he had sexual relations with.
The plea came during jury selection in Wayne County Circuit Court.
He also pleaded guilty to larceny of $20,000 or more; using a computer to commit a crime; felon in possession of a firearm; and felony firearm.
Burks, 35, entered into a sentence agreement of 35 to 60 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to a separate manslaughter case involving a road rage incident. He agreed to a 10- to 15-year sentence in that case.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 20.
The investigation into the death began on April 22, 2023, when Detroit police responded to a call of a white Land Rover blocking a driveway on Coyle Street, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. Officers noticed blood in the interior, tagged the vehicle as evidence, and took it to the department's tow yard.
They then learned the car was registered to Dr. Hoover at 150 W. Boston Blvd. in Detroit's Boston-Edison neighborhood. Police went to the home and noticed the driveway gate leading to the rear of the house was wide open. They knocked on the front and back doors, but no one answered, so they left.
The next day, police received a 911 call from Dr. Hoover's family requesting a welfare check at his home after he failed to show up to visit his mother in Indiana, authorities said.
Detroit police officers returned to the house and found what appeared to be blood on the exterior rear door. They made a forced entry into the home and found Dr. Hoover's body in a third-floor attic crawl space, facedown, wearing only socks and wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office determined he was shot twice in the head.
The Detroit Police Crime Scene Services Unit processed the scene and discovered the doctor's cell phone, wallet, money, credit cards, and designer watches were missing.
Investigators learned that almost immediately after Dr. Hoover’s murder, multiple fraudulent financial transactions were made from his various financial accounts and continued for several days.
Investigators also found that the doctor's cell phone records showed he had approximately 4,000 communications with a number linked to the suspect, Desmond Burks, who lived in the 9900 block of Sussex in Detroit.
The text messages showed that Burks and Dr. Hoover were in an intimate relationship, and on occasion Burks charged the doctor for sexual services.
Authorities said the investigation was complicated by the fact that many witnesses were reluctant to come forward and share sensitive and personal information about the doctor.
