(WXYZ — A Detroit man who police say had an intimate relationship with Dr. Devon Hoover has been charged in his murder, with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announcing the charges on Wednesday morning.
Officials say an analysis of Hoover's phone records showed that Desmond Burks would charge Hoover for sexual services.
WATCH: Wayne County Prosecutor announces murder charges after 2023 killing of Dr. Devon Hoover
The announcement concludes an investigation that lasted over a year, spanning across five states (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Texas and California) and three countries (United States, England, and France).
Worthy laid out the vast amount of information officials used to investigate this case, which included over 100 hours of video interviews, video surveillance from 24 different locations, over 300 pieces of evidence, more than 134 search warrants requested, a Range Rover, two luxury watches and 181 pages of investigators reports. In total, police reportedly retrieved several terabytes of data.
Hoover, 53, was found dead on April 23, 2023, inside his Detroit home on W. Boston Boulevard near Woodward Avenue while police were conducting a wellness check. Police were initially called after Hoover didn't show up in Indiana to visit his mother. During that check, police noticed the driveway gate near the back of the home was wide open, with what appeared to be blood on back door of the home.
Inside the home, police found Hoover's body in a third-floor attic crawl space, wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office concluded that Hoover was shot twice in the back of head.
On the day of the killing, Burks was allegedly seen parking Hoover's Range Rover near the 9900 block of Coyle Street, a home that police had linked to Dr. Hoover and Burks via phone records. Officials say that home is where the one of Hoover's luxury watches was found. The piece of jewelry, a "Ballon Bleu" Cartier watch, was purchased by Hoover a day before he was murdered, investigators say. That was one of the many pieces of evidence that led to the charges issued towards Burks, according to officials.
Hoover's family released the following statement about the arrest to ABC News:
The investigation of our brother’s murder has never been far from our minds since April 23, 2023. Today, we feel relief for a step towards justice. We feel grateful for the dedicated teamwork and sacrifices of the Detroit Police Department. Most of all, we feel the loss of Devon once again. 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.
Hoover's friend Carole Gove spoke to 7 News Detroit about the developments.
"I'm relieved that this is over," Gove says. "I'm sure they will get a conviction. They've been so particular and painstakingly thorough I'm sure they will get a conviction. Devon deserves justice. He was a brilliant man."
She said, "I don't know what's different now than 6 months ago. So, somebody must've said something. Somebody must've come forward finally and said something."
FULL INTERVIEW: Carol Gove reacts to arrest in Hoover case
When asked why Burks is being charged now, Worthy replied, "Because we came to the... a good place in the investigation to be comfortable to charge this case that we could do it beyond a reasonable doubt as we have to stand up in court and defend it."
She added, "So, we were not ready and as ya'll know me well enough by now, we take our time. On cases that we can charge quickly, we charge quickly. On 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."
Burks is currently in jail on separate murder charges, after he allegedly punched and killed a driver in a road rage incident back in April.
Burks has been charged with the following:
- First-degree premeditated murder
- Felony murder
- Larceny of over $20,000
- Using a computer to commit a crime
- Possession of firearm by a felon
- Three felony firearm charges
Burks was arraigned Thursday morning, with another court appearance set for later this month.
VIDEO: Watch the full arraignment below
Hoover was a physician at Ascension St. John specializing in neck and back disorders. He completed medical training at Indiana University School of Medicine before doing his residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He completed fellowships at Louisiana State University School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Michigan.
