Man who killed well-known Detroit neurosurgeon to be sentenced

DETROIT – Desmond Burks, the man who admitted to killing Detroit neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover, will be sentenced Friday morning.
For nearly three years, Burks denied guilt until the day jury selection was set to begin. This is a complicated case involving two separate murders.
Last month, Burks pleaded guilty to several charges, including second-degree murder for the death of Dr. Hoover and manslaughter related to a road rage incident. His guilty plea came on the second day of jury selection, surprising everyone, including his own attorney.
In April 2023, a concerned family member requested a welfare check when Dr. Hoover did not show up to see his sick mother. When officers went to his home, they found his body in a third-floor crawl space.
A person of interest was questioned but not identified at the time. It was later confirmed to be Desmond Burks, who was released after several days of police questioning.