'Not a random act': Neurosurgeon's body stuffed in attic, shot multiple times in the head

The death of a Detroit neurosurgeon has been ruled a homicide and police said Friday they have a person of interest in custody as the community continued to reel from the shock of losing a beloved community anchor.

//Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was found dead on Sunday in his mansion in the ritzy Boston-Edison Historic District in Detroit. Police were at his home performing a welfare check when they discovered the slain surgeon.

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.

Person of interest knew Dr Devon Hoover

Police said Friday that the person of interest is being held on charges unrelated to the slain doctor's death. Detroit Police Chief James White said the individual and Hoover knew each other but declined to comment further on the nature of their relationship.

"We're confident this person has information about what transpired," White said. "This was not a random act."

White declined to comment on a potential motive.

"We've got some theories," he said. "Right now, we're happy to have a person of interest who we can question — we're not going to stop until we have every piece of information that we need."

White said the officers who went to Hoover's home to check on him were "quickly concerned about some of the things that they saw and went into the home." White declined to elaborate and said detectives are heading in the right direction. He expects more details on the killing to be released at a later time.

Neurosurgeon for 20 years

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.

Outpouring of love for neurosurgeon continues

An outpouring of shock, grief and anger over the slaying continues to mount.

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'

Over 2,500 people have joined the Facebook group "Justice for Dr. Devon Hoover" as of Friday afternoon. The group is flooded with tributes dedicated to the slain doctor, many of whom were patients who said they are alive because of Hoover's care.

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.

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.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Neurosurgeon murdered, body stuffed in attic; person in custody