Desmond Burks: Man Who Pleaded Guilty to Murdering Detroit Neurosurgeon Sentenced to Decades in Prison

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On February 20, 2026, 34-year-old Desmond Burks was sentenced for killing a well-known Detroit neurosurgeon, Dr. Devon Hoover, in April 2023. Although he pleaded guilty to the crime, Burks still insisted that he was innocent.

Despite this, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Wanda Evans sentenced him to 35 to 60 years in prison for the doctor’s killing. She also gave him another 10 to 15 years for a separate road rage death, and that sentence will run one after the other.

Altogether, the sentence means Burks will have to serve at least 45 years behind bars.


Dr Devon Hoover 


It all began on Sunday, April 23, 2023, when 53-year-old Dr. Hoover was found dead inside his home in the Boston-Edison Historic District. 

The shocking discovery happened after a family member of the respected neurosurgeon asked police to do a welfare check as they were concerned that Hoover failed to travel to Indiana to visit his dying mother.

Police had been to the home on West Boston Boulevard the previous evening after finding Hoover’s car abandoned miles away, but the didn’t go inside. 

But when they got back the next day, they saw blood on the back door of the residence, which made officers to forcefully enter.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Hoover’s body was found wrapped in a blood-soaked carpet in an attic crawl space. 

He was face down and wearing only socks, and an autopsy later confirmed he had been shot twice in the back of the head, as reported by ClickonDetroit News.

At first, it looked like a robbery because Devon Hoover’s cellphone, wallet, cash, and credit cards were missing, and soon after, unauthorized charges began appearing on his bank accounts.

But as investigators looked deeper into the case, they uncovered a complicated relationship between Hoover and the man who killed him, Desmond Burks. 

Data from Hoover’s phone showed he and Burks knew each other and had exchanged thousands of text messages.

“The text messages established that Desmond Burks and Dr. Hoover were in an intimate relationship with one another, and that, on occasion, Desmond Burks would charge Dr. Hoover for these sexual services,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in court. 

Cellphone data later placed Hoover’s phone near Burks’ home and at a Dearborn mall on the day of the murder, April 22, 2023, however, it never returned to Hoover’s house. 

Investigators also obtained footage of Burks parking Hoover’s car near where it was later found, and he was seen limping away from the vehicle with a backpack. Police reports noted that Burks was known to be walking with a limp at that time because he had been shot in the hip.

When the properties linked to Burks were searched, detectives uncovered more evidence, including a Cartier watch belonging to Hoover and another $7,500 timepiece Hoover had purchased the day before he was killed.

Even though investigators believed Burks was responsible, he wasn’t officially charged until August 7, 2024 — more than 15 months after the killing — when authorities believed they had overwhelming evidence against him.

Meanwhile, Burks was already in custody before he was formally charged with the doctor’s murder, because while the investigation was still ongoing, he became involved in another violent incident.

On April 17, 2024, police responded to a road rage assault at the intersection of West Chicago Street and Greenfield Road in Detroit. 

Investigators said 67-year-old Reda Saleh from Dearborn accidentally bumped into the back of Burks’ car, and when an argument broke out, Burks allegedly punched him. He left Saleh lying in the street, and Saleh later died from his injuries on May 11, 2024.


Desmond Burks 


According to prosecutors, Burks may have committed the crime out of jealousy after Devon Hoover suggested bringing other partners into their sexual relationship. 

The defense, however, said there’s no direct proof that Burks caused Hoover’s death and argued that being angry or upset doesn’t automatically mean a crime was planned.

Facing charges for both deaths, Burks accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Hoover’s case and to charges related to Saleh’s death, in exchange for the dismissal of a first-degree murder charge.

At the sentencing, Burks showed no remorse for his actions. As Hoover’s sister spoke about the agony of losing her brother just days before their mother died of cancer—forcing the family to plan two funerals in one week—Burks could be seen smirking and shaking his head. 

During other victim impact statements, he rolled his eyes and began picking at his cuticles. But despite his demeanor, the family members showed remarkable compassion. 

Hoover’s sister stated they had no ill will toward Burks, and others, including Saleh’s family, expressed forgiveness and compassion toward him and his mother.

Saleh’s stepdaughter described him as a gentle, deeply religious, hard‑working man who was the anchor of a large family and the caregiver for his disabled wife.

When he was given a chance to speak, Burks delivered a rambling statement denying the crimes and any portrayal of his identity.

“My name is Desmond Burks. I’d like to say I’m not a murderer and not a killer. A regular person like everybody in this room,” Burks said. “I’m not gay as the prosecutor wants me to be. Not a gang member. I love sports. I’m a people person.”

He downplayed the road rage attack that killed Saleh, calling it a "slap, not assault," and reiterated his innocence in the doctor’s death.

“About the doctor stuff? Just because I took the plea don’t mean I did it,” he insisted. “I’m tired of people saying that I’m some gay killer or a gay person and a gang member in the same breath. That doesn’t even make sense. It’s impossible."

Burks’ own defense attorney apologized to the families for his client’s comments before Judge Evans, before handed down the sentence. She admonished Burks courtroom behavior and made it clear that despite his protestations, his guilty plea stood, and he would be sentenced as a murderer.

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