Desmond Burks Pleads Guilty in Murder of Detroit Neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover

Sentencing scheduled for Feb. 20 after plea deal drops first-degree murder charge

Published: January 23, 2026 | Last Updated: January 23, 2026

Nearly two years after renowned Detroit neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover, who was part of the LGBTQ+ community, was found dead in his historic Boston Edison mansion, the man charged with his murder has accepted a plea deal.

Desmond Burks, 35, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, larceny over $20,000, using a computer to commit a crime and weapons charges on Jan. 22, just two days into jury selection for what was expected to be a six-week trial. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped the first-degree murder charge.

In August 2024, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced charges against Burks, revealing that investigators had found approximately 4,000 communications between Hoover and a phone number linked to Burks. Evidence showed the two men were involved in an intimate relationship, and that Burks occasionally charged Hoover for sexual services.

Burks now faces 35 to 60 years in prison for second-degree murder, plus an additional five years on the weapons charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20 in Wayne County Circuit Court.

Hoover, 53, was found dead on April 23, 2023, inside his $1.2 million home on W. Boston Boulevard after he failed to show up for a planned visit with his dying mother in Indiana. Police discovered his body in a third-floor attic crawl space, wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet. The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office concluded he had been shot twice in the back of the head.

The investigation into Hoover's death spanned more than a year and covered five states — Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Texas and California — as well as three countries: the United States, England and France. The case involved interviews with nearly 90 witnesses, the collection of over 300 pieces of evidence and 134 search warrants, with more than 70 law enforcement officers working to solve the case.

Burks, who has a prior criminal record including convictions for arson and felony firearm possession, is also facing separate murder charges for an unrelated April 2024 road rage incident involving a 67-year-old Dearborn man. That case is not connected to Hoover's murder.

Hoover's family released a statement expressing relief at the plea deal. "As a family, we are relieved to know that Desmond Burks pleaded guilty. We are glad that a long and difficult trial will not be necessary."

Carol Gove, a friend of Hoover's who was expected to testify at trial, told reporters she was "still a little bit in shock" at the sudden plea. "I'm relieved that it's over. It's been very anxiety-producing thinking about going to testify. I'm relieved that his murderer will be locked away for the rest of his life. Nothing can bring Devon back; the people that are still suffering are his would-be patients."

Hoover was a beloved neurosurgeon known for his exceptional patient care and his passion for restoring his 13,000-square-foot Benjamin Siegel House, which he had meticulously renovated over 15 years. Speaking with WXYZ, friends remembered him as generous, smart and delightful, someone who hosted lavish parties and bought fresh flower arrangements every Saturday at Eastern Market.

Criminal defense attorney Todd Flood, a former prosecutor, told WXYZ that Burks likely took the deal to ensure he would eventually walk free, noting that the circumstantial evidence was "too stacked to ignore."

"I've been in murder trials, too many to count and the victim's family, it's trauma. It's peeling back wounds. It's taking off the Band-Aid," Flood said. "So to spare them this ugliness, this trial of listening and going through all of this, that's some mercy."

Burks' attorney Gabi Silver said "it was a bit of a surprise to all of us, but at the end of the day, it was his decision."