Friends of murdered Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover question length of investigation leading to charges
(CBS DETROIT) - Dr. Devon Hoover was a prominent neurosurgeon at St. John Ascension Hospital in Detroit for many years.
On April 23, 2023, police discovered his body at his Boston Edison home wrapped inside a blanket with gunshot wounds to his head.
In the days following his death, a person of interest was taken into custody but then later released without being charged. That person of interest was Desmond Burks, 33, who prosecutors said during a news conference Wednesday, had an intimate relationship with Hoover.
Burks was charged with eight felonies, including first-degree premeditated murder.
"I think the community is relieved like I said in the beginning, but there's just things that don't make any sense," said Brian Douglas, Hoover's long-time friend.
Douglas said the time it took to bring charges against Burks has bothered the community and many of Hoover's friends.
"I feel like there is all this investigative stuff she brought out, for what, five states and three countries, you had 70-something agents or officers involved in this investigation, but you couldn't bring charged until a year and a half," Douglas said.
During Wednesday's news conference, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy explained that many individuals were not forthcoming due to the sensitive nature of Burks's relationship with Hoover.
However, Douglas said Burks was a known person of interest from the beginning within the gay community and that someone commented on the livestream of Hoover's funeral service, claiming he killed Hoover. That stream has since been taken down.
Worthy also revealed a mountain of evidence that investigators allege all points to Burks as the killer, including text messages and stolen jewelry. Officials said police discovered Hoover's Range Rover parked in a west-side neighborhood at an address associated with Burks. Police said the vehicle was tagged as evidence a day before they discovered Hoover's body.
Douglas said he and many others simply cannot understand why Burks couldn't have been charged with stealing Hoover's vehicle or even murder at the time he was initially taken into custody.
"This dude was walking around for a year and a half almost and a year to the date killed another man in a road rage incident," Douglas said, referring to the killing of Reda Saleh, 67, during a road rage incident.
Burks was charged in May with Saleh's murder while he was a person of interest in Hoover's murder. This is something that Douglas said is weighing on the community.
CBS Detroit contacted Reda Saleh's family for a response, but we did not receive a response.
Worthy said the answers that the community seeks will be revealed during court.