Mysterious death of beloved neurosurgeon ruled homicide; Doctor found with gunshot wounds to the head

 The death of a beloved Detroit neurosurgeon that left friends and patients in utter shock has officially been ruled a homicide. 

Devon Hoover, 53, was found dead on Sunday in his home in the Boston-Edison Historic District — a well-known, wealthier neighborhood in Detroit. Police were at his home performing a welfare check when they discovered the slain neurosurgeon.

The cause of death was ruled multiple gunshot wounds to the head, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. 

His body was found wrapped in a sheet and stuffed in an attic crawl space, Fox2 reported. The doctor had been expected to visit family in Indiana last weekend but when he didn't show, family members contacted Detroit police.

His car was found abandoned across town.

An outpouring of love for Hoover, and grief at his death, have flooded social media. Hoover was known for his kindness and generosity. He was brilliant, an "exceptional person in nearly every way" and a "larger-than-life" type of person, his friend and neighbor Paddy Lynch said.

"A loving son and brother, a brilliant, accomplished surgeon, an unrivaled collector and caretaker of all things beautiful, and a champion of art and culture. But perhaps most admirably, he was beyond generous with his time and his treasure," Lynch said.

Lynch said Hoover was one of the first of his neighbors to offer home advice, support and kindness. Hospitality was his specialty, he said, and he opened his doors to "countless neighbors, friends, and charitable organizations."

"I pray that there’s a heaven and that Devon is there now, drinking wine and resting from his many labors. May his good life be remembered and may his memory be eternal," Lynch said.

'Justice for Dr. Devon Hoover' 

In a Facebook group dedicated to seeking justice in Hoover's death, named "Justice for Dr. Devon Hoover," dozens of former patients of Hoover's spoke of how he had saved their lives. He treated his patients with kindness, compassion and respect, many wrote.

Others who knew Hoover added their own tributes to the late doctor to the Facebook group, expressing disbelief, grief, heartache and anger over his death. More than 1,100 people had joined the Facebook group as of Wednesday afternoon.

Hoover performed three spinal surgeries on Maureen McKinley Light over the last 10 years. Hoover was humble and invested in his patients, she said. 

"His concern was always with the person in front of him, his patient, and putting them at ease. Every single person he's ever encountered, he was just a kind, compassionate person. And other doctors thought the world of him," McKinley Light said.

"I bet you could never find a person who could say a single bad thing about him."

She credits Hoover for giving her a better life. Without him, "I’d be in a wheelchair or in permanent pain," she said. "The loss of this beautiful person is incalculable."

The last time McKinley Light saw Hoover was in January, when he performed her third surgery. She was due to see him in a few weeks; Hoover had insisted she come back so he could make sure she was all right.

“He treated everyone like a friend. That's a gift that not many people have," she said.

Beloved surgeon found shot 

Hoover was a doctor at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit and had practiced neurosurgery for over 20 years, first getting his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and then completing residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

In a statement, Ascension wrote that Hoover was a dedicated, well-respected doctor who will be greatly missed.

Christina Olson, a registered nurse at Garden City Hospital, used to work alongside Hoover during his residency at Henry Ford Hospital, from 1998 to 2002.

“I’ve worked so long as a nurse and people come and go. You forget some of them, but you could never forget him,” Olson said. “(As a resident) he was so sweet and kind and that was kind of weird when they’re so young and they’re overworked, overtired, but he never lost his patience, he was even kind to the nurses.”

Even though Olson worked with Hoover over 20 years ago, it “seems he did not change one bit and even got better,” she said. 

Contributing: Donovan Slack, USA TODAY. Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press, a member of the USA TODAY Network. She can be contacted at asahouri@freepress.com or on Twitter @andreamsahouri.