Doctor says he hid suicide note to protect family of Erica Blasberg

The doctor who found the body of 25-year-old professional golfer Erica Blasberg told Nevada investigators he hid a suicide note and pills because he wanted to spare her family embarrassment, according to a court document released Wednesday.

A Henderson police affidavit detailed the hours Blasberg and Dr. Thomas Hess spent together playing golf, watching TV in a casino sports book and in her home in the days before he found her dead May 9 with a plastic bag over her head.

Detectives investigating the golfer’s death searched the doctor’s Mercedes-Benz, which was parked in Blasberg’s driveway, and found a suicide note and Xanax pills obtained in Mexico.

Authorities have declined to release the contents of the note.

Hess was arrested Tuesday on a misdemeanor obstruction of justice charge and was released a short time later after posting $637 in bail.

HOCKEY

Kings add veteran Willie Mitchell

The Kings bolstered their defensive numbers by signing Willie Mitchell to a two-year deal worth $3.5 million a season.

Mitchell, 33, played with the Vancouver Canucks the last three seasons. He was limited to 48 games in 2009-10 and missed the remainder of the season after suffering a concussion during a Jan. 16 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mitchell had four goals and 12 points.

The 12-year NHL veteran was offered a one-year deal, heavy with bonuses, by the Canucks, according to media reports.

Mitchell played in all 82 games in 2008-09, finishing with three goals and 23 points.

Kings President Dean Lombardi said “there is risk with any player you sign,” but that he was satisfied that Mitchell was healthy.

“[Mitchell] passed the league requirements,” Lombardi said. “Then he did an impressive workout on his own for us. We didn’t even ask him to do it.”

This was the third concussion of Mitchell’s career, and by far the most severe. Mitchell said he would not entertain offers from teams until he was sure he could play.

Mitchell said he has been symptom-free since mid-June and began rigorous workouts in mid-July.

“I wanted to go about things the right way and gradually build things up,” Mitchell said. “I didn’t want to put a general manager or team in a position they don’t want to be in.”

— Chris Foster

Free-agent forward Raffi Torres signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Canucks. Torres split last season between Columbus and Buffalo.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed 20-goal scorer Steve Downie to a two-year contract. The Lightning also signed defenseman Randy Jones, who played 48 games last season for the Kings.

ETC.

Eric Gordon leads U.S. in rout

The United States led from start to finish to defeat Greece, 87-59, in Athens in its final warm-up before the FIBA World Championships.

Clippers guard Eric Gordon scored 18 points for the U.S., which led, 42-32, at halftime.

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The Denver Post is reporting that former Denver Nuggets international scout Masai Ujiri has been chosen as the team’s new general manager.

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Angel McCoughtry scored 28 points and Coco Miller scored 21 in her first start of the season to help the Atlanta Dream upset the top-seeded Washington Mystics, 95-90, in Game 1 of their WNBA Eastern Conference playoff series in Washington.

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The NCAA put the men’s basketball program at Morehead State on probation for two years for recruiting violations related to booster activity.