DETROIT – The man accused of killing a prominent Detroit doctor has been found competent to stand trial in two separate murder cases.
The competency hearing can be watched in the video player above.
Case background
Dr. Devon Hoover worked as a neurosurgeon at Ascension Hospital in Detroit at the time of his death. Police found his body wrapped in a carpet in the attic of his Boston Edison Historic District home in 2023. He had been shot in the head twice.
Police said Hoover’s cellphone, wallet, money, and credit cards and at least one watch were missing from the home. Authorities said fraudulent transactions showed up on his bank accounts almost immediately after his death.
Cellphone records showed Hoover had exchanged about 4,000 text messages with a phone number attributed to Desmond Burks. Prosecutors allege Burks and Hooever were in an intimate relationship.
On the day of Hoover’s murder, cellphone data showed that his phone had traveled from his house to the area of Burks’ home on Sussex Street. The phone returned to Hoover’s home, went back to the area of Burks’ home, and then traveled to Fairlane Mall in Dearborn.
When officials searched Burks’ home, they found one of Hoover’s Cartier watches. In April 2024, they learned about another home linked to Burks and reportedly found a $7,500 watch that Hoover had purchased the day before his death.
Burks’ arrest, charges
Burks was taken into custody in May 2024 on a completely unrelated road rage case.
Officials said Reda Saleh, 67, of Dearborn, bumped into the back of the car Burks was driving on April 17, 2024, at the intersection of West Chicago Street and Greenfield Road in Detroit.
Saleh and Burks got out and began to argue. Police said Burks punched Saleh and left him lying in the street.
Officials found Saleh unresponsive with a serious head injury. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and died about a month later.
Burks was arrested May 15, 2024, and charged with second-degree murder.
In August, 2024, Burks was charged in connection with Hoover’s death. He was charged with first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, larceny of over $20,000, using a computer to commit a crime, possession of a firearm by a felon and three second-offense felony firearm violations.
The family of Hoover said they knew Burk was the killer the entire time.
2025 competency hearing
A competency hearing for both murder cases took place Friday, March 7, 2025.
During the hearing, attorney Gabi Silver said that a forensic psychologist and an independent evaluation both found Burks competent to stand trial.
The preliminary exam dates for both cases are expected to be scheduled by the end of the day.
