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(FOX 2) - The man accused of murdering a Detroit doctor has pleaded guilty ahead of the start of a long-delayed jury trial.
Desmond Burks was set for jury trial after several delays in the murder case of Dr. Devon Hoover, a Detroit neurosurgeon who was found dead in his home in 2023.
Burks pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as jury selection was ongoing. He also pleaded guilty to larceny of $20,000 or more, using a computer to commit a crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and felony firearm.
He pleaded guilty as a violent habitual offender.
He's scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20.
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Desmond Burks pleads guilty to murder of Dr. Devon Hoover
Desmond Burks has pleaded guilty in the 2023 murder of the prominent Detroit neurosurgeon inside his Boston Edison estate. The two had a sexual relationship before Burks planned to murder Hoover and steal funds from his bank account.
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Burks, 35, has pleaded guilty in the nearly two-year case involving an unresolved murder of Hoover, who lived in Detroit.
He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge after being arraigned on first-degree murder on Wednesday, coming amid jury selection for the trial. Burks also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a separate case involving a road rage incident in April 2024.
He told the court he shot Hoover twice after traveling to his home in 2023. He also confessed to stealing thousands of dollars, jewelry, and credit cards from Hoover.
"Mr. Burks decided to take advantage of a reduced guilty plea offer," said attorney Gabi Silver. "And the family was spared the trial - and that's what happened."
Silver was asked if the defense had a good argument in the case.
"Anything else?" she asked the gaggle of reporters, before taking on the question. "Listen, it was a circumstantial case for sure, there was no direct evidence. We were prepared to do our job if that's what happened.
"Ultimately today Mr. Burks decided to take the plea and that's where we ended up."
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Attorney for Desmond Burks claims evidence was circumstantial in doctor's murder
When asked about her client's guilty plea and if there was a good defense planned, Burks' attorney said evidence was circumstantial in the 2023 murder of Dr. Devon Hoover.
The backstory:
Hoover, 53, was found shot to death and wrapped in a bloody carpet in the attic of his home in the city's Boston-Edison neighborhood on April 23, 2023, a day after his Range Rover was parked outside another Detroit home.
Desmond Burks, 35, pleads guilty to murdering Dr. Devon Hoover.
Police went to Hoover's house after the vehicle was found, but no one answered. They returned the next day and found his body, face down, wearing only socks, after his family requested a welfare check because he missed a trip to visit his dying mother in Indiana.
The discovery spurred an investigation that lasted more than a year as authorities worked to gather enough evidence to charge Burks. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Burks was the original person of interest. He was questioned and released, initially, because they needed more evidence to advance the case.
Hoover's designer watches and credit cards were also missing after the crime, authorities said.
Dr. Devon Hoover murder: Massive amount of evidence leads to charges against Detroit man
A man accused of murdering well-known Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover is now facing charges after an investigation that has been ongoing for more than a year.
The Source: A court plea hearing and previous reporting was cited for this story.