Neurosurgeon Found Dead in Sheet Was Shot and Dragged to Crawlspace in "Execution Style" Murder, Autopsy Reveals

On April 23, Devon Hoover, a beloved Detroit, Michigan neurosurgeon, was found murdered in his million-dollar home. According to authorities, the 53-year-old was scheduled to be in Indiana for his mother's birthday party but never arrived. When police visited his house for a welfare check, they found him dead and located his car, which had been abandoned on the other side of the city.

However, at the time, very few details were revealed about his cause of death. On Wednesday, his autopsy report became public, painting a more thorough picture of what happened to the physician. 

The Detroit Free Press obtained the autopsy report Wednesday through a Freedom of Information Act request. It specifies that Hoover was shot twice in the head before being dragged down into a crawlspace of his home and covered up with a comforter, sheet, and rug. 

Hoover was shot first behind his right ear and then shot in the back of his head, and "there was a partial muzzle imprint on the inferior edge of this wound," reads the autopsy report from the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. He was found wearing only a black sock. 

Hoover's death has officially been ruled a homicide, but no suspect is in custody. Previously police had a person of interest who had been taken into custody via an unrelated incident. 

Detroit Police Chief James White said at the time that he believed the person had key information about Hoover's death. However, charges were never filed against him, and the individual has since been released "following prosecutorial review."

Police haven't provided any updates but have asked the community for help with the case. "CASH FOR TIPS $1000 Reward for Homicide," reads a tweet they recently retweeted. 

"Detectives continue to investigate all leads in the homicide of Dr. Devon Hoover. We're asking anyone with information to send an anonymous tip to http://detroitrewards.tv and include case #: 2304230294."

In his decades-long career as a top neurosurgeon, Devon Hoover was no stranger to media coverage. The respected doctor, who practiced with Ascension Healthcare at St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, was a high-profile figure in his swanky neighborhood and community, regularly described as "an angel" and lifesaver.

Detroit police revealed that Hoover's $1.2 million dollar house was broken into sometime between Saturday and Sunday when his funeral took place at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. They have no suspect but revealed that nobody was at home during the break-in and it isn't known if items were stolen or whether the break-in was connected to the killing.

"He's an anchor of the block, extremely involved in the neighborhood," Shearrod added about his deceased neighbor, who lived in the home by himself. "He's just a wonderful person. I mean, the home looks amazing because he was an ardent reservationist, restorationist."

Neighbors and patients of the respected physician were shocked. "I went on Facebook, and I saw his picture and thought, oh, he must've gotten an award," Julia, one of Hoover's patients, told WXYZ. "So I put my glasses on, and my daughter was outside with the dog, and I just started screaming, 'Oh, my God, oh, my God.'"

Jonathan Shearrod, one of his longtime neighbors, said he would be "extremely missed." "It's gonna take some time to wrap your head around what has happened," he told the Detroit News. "I just can't imagine anyone experiencing that in their home or just having to face that kind of terror where you live."

"Devon Hoover, MD, was a dedicated and well respected member of the Ascension Michigan family and will be greatly missed by our community," Ascension said in a statement. "Our sincerest condolence and heartfelt prayers are with his family, friends and fellow associated during this incredibly difficult time."