Three Months After He Was Tragically Found Dead in Detroit, the Question Remains: Who Killed Dr. Devon Hoover?

Published: July 24, 2023 | Last Updated: November 29, 2023

It’s been just over three months since Dr. Devon Hoover was found slain in his historic $1.2 million Boston Edison District mansion and no arrests have been made. Few details have been released, and frustrated friends and family are seeking answers.

So far, developments in the case have centered on actions taken by friends and family left behind versus new information about the brutal murder. A GoFundMe campaign raised to offer a reward for information raised more than the $20K funding goal. Recently, volunteers canvassed Hoover’s neighborhood and handed out fliers seeking any new information to help solve his mysterious murder.

Hoover, 53, was a renowned neurosurgeon and, Pride Source has confirmed, part of the LGBTQ+ community. He had lived alone in his 13,000-square-foot home since purchasing it 15 years ago, meticulously restoring the turn-of-the-century property, known as the Benjamin Siegel House. The home, built in 1915 for Siegel, owner of the downtown Detroit department store B. Siegel, was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn.

Hoover’s case drew national attention, and a story in People magazine alleged he felt “nervous” and “concerned” about living in the massive house in Detroit alone. The article quoted a former neighbor as the source. But other friends of Hoover’s have taken to Facebook, via a Justice for Devon Hoover page, to say the claims are erroneous.

“Devon was NOT concerned about living alone in his home,” Jordan Medeiros, who identified himself as a friend of Hoover’s, posted to the Facebook page. “And the neighbor’s quote buried in this article does not support that statement.”

Carol Rodgers Gove, one of those who helped set up the GoFundMe page, agreed in another post. “He was never concerned about living alone,” she echoed.

What is known for sure is that Hoover failed to show up in Indiana for a scheduled family visit in April. As the result of a requested welfare check, Hoover’s body, naked but for one black sock and wrapped in a blanket and a comforter, was found in his attic on April 23. He had been shot twice in the back of the head, according to the autopsy report.

While police initially interviewed a subject, he was allegedly released without arrest. Now, they continue to be tight-lipped as time marches on with no arrests being made.

“There are no new developments in the case,” Sgt. Javaris Reed of the Detroit Police Department Homicide Division told Pride Source. “Evidence for the case is being gathered daily and reviewed. These types of cases take time to prosecute. We must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person responsible is guilty. We are taking our time to find the right person so that when we prosecute, he will be sentenced for a long time.”

Since the death and, without an arrest, speculation has run rampant. Some say that the slaying has the marks of a hookup gone bad. Others have theorized that the suspect was someone Hoover had known for some time. On the Justice for Devon Hoover Facebook page, which has over 7,000 members and where theories run rampant, someone recently posted photos of Detroit gay bars Gigi’s and Menjo’s and said the alleged killer was known to frequent those spots.

“We cannot go into detail as to the motive for the homicide as we are still investigating the crime,” Reed said, adding they were not looking at these bars as of now. “These bars, at this time, are not a part of our homicide investigation. I believe this is speculation as we haven’t released the person of interest’s name and/or description.”

Hoover’s friends and family continue to be pained as the weeks and months pass by without an arrest. “Devon was a generous, smart, delightful human being who was funny, sometimes unintentionally so, and full of life,” his friend John Corvino told Pride Source. “We, his friends, are still in shock.”

The LGBTQ+ community at large remains shocked and on edge, as well, with some lamenting that the still-at-large killer could have been motivated, at least in part, by Hoover’s sexual orientation. Questions abound and, three months later, answers remain few.

“The person who committed this crime is still walking around,” Brian Douglas, an acquaintance of Hoover’s, told WDIV Local 4. “This community is still vulnerable — that means this community, the Boston-Edison community, and also the gay community.”

In addition to his LGBTQ+ friends in Michigan, Hoover’s patients are also in mourning.

“He was a wonderful human being, and this is so tragic,” Dana Collar, a former patient of Hoover’s told WDIV. “The lives that he has touched. Every person should aspire to be like him, his kindness, his bedside manner. They should have a ‘Dr. Hoover class’ for physicians for bedside manner because he was perfect.”

Indeed, it’s difficult to find anyone with anything bad to say about Hoover. Family, friends — even his neighbors — are grieving. Hoover was known around his upscale neighborhood for hosting lavish parties and showing off recent purchases and upgrades to his house. He bought a fresh flower arrangement for the entryway every Saturday at Eastern Market. He also recently had a greenhouse built on the property, to replace the original one that had stood there many years before.

That something so horrific could happen to someone so kind and beloved is a hard pill to swallow for Hoover’s inner circle. Still, someone must know something. And the DPD is asking that person to come forward.

“If someone is suspected of committing the murder and/or someone is a witness to this crime, it would be imperative that they reach out to the detectives to give a statement so that we can bring justice to the family of Dr. Devon Hoover,” said Reed. “They can also reach out to Crime Stoppers to relay that information.”

Crime Stoppers can be reached at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.