Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Death of golfer Erica Blasberg ruled suicide; doctor accused of obstruction

Erica Blasberg

AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli

Erica Blasberg tees off on the 18th hole during the third round of the LPGA Corning Classic golf tournament in Corning, N.Y., Saturday, May 24, 2008.

Updated Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010 | 3:28 p.m.

Audio Clip

  • 911 call: Dr. Thomas Hess reports death of Erica Blasberg
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Thomas Hess

Erica Blasberg

In this photo taken on April 12, 2007,  golfer Erica Blasberg watches her tee shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the LPGA Ginn Open golf tournament in Reunion, Fla. Launch slideshow »

The death of 25-year-old professional golfer Erica Blasberg, who was found dead in her Henderson home May 9, was ruled a suicide Tuesday by the Clark County Coroner's Office.

The Henderson Police Department also issued an arrest warrant for Dr. Thomas Hess on suspicion of obstruction of justice for allegedly removing items from the scene before officers arrived. Police said Hess surrendered at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday and was booked into the Henderson Detention Center. He was released at 2:20 p.m. after posting bail of $637.

Police said foul play isn't suspected in Blasberg's death.

Police responded at 3:15 p.m. May 9 to Blasberg's home in the Anthem community in the 2600 block of Hotel de Ville Terrace, where they found her dead with a plastic bag over her head, investigators said.

The conclusion of the investigation caps months of speculation about the young golfer's death.

Hess, who called 911 that day, admitted to altering the scene by hiding Blasberg's suicide note in his vehicle, along with prescription medication taken from her house, according to a statement released by the Henderson Police Department. Hess had stopped cooperating with detectives during the investigation, police said Tuesday.

The coroner ruled Blasberg's death a suicide due to asphyxia and toxic levels of prescription medication in her system.

"While asphyxia was the primary couse of death, the presence of prescription drugs in Ms. Blasberg's system was a significant factor," Coroner Mike Murphy said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with her family as they move through this tragedy."

The prescription drugs found in her system included headache, cough, pain and anti-anxiety medications, according to the toxicology report. Under Nevada law, the coroner can't release details about the amount of medication present, only the presence of it.

Officials said the investigation was delayed because forensic testing by an outside laboratory took about eight weeks.

In the 911 recording released Tuesday by Henderson Police, Hess is heard telling the dispatcher he stopped by Blasberg's house because he was concerned about her. She was supposed to be leaving for a golf tournament, but Hess said she sounded intoxicated on the phone the night before. He said he knew Blasberg through a golf club.

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A portrait of LPGA golfer Erica Blasberg is displayed at her memorial service at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif., Wednesday, May 19, 2010.

Hess, who said Blasberg didn't mention anything about planning to commit suicide, told the dispatcher he discovered her body with a bag over her head inside the house.

The dispatcher then directed Hess to wait for officers outside the house, telling him to "try not to touch anything."

Hess is a family practice doctor with an office at 1641 East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas. According to the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, Hess hasn't had any disciplinary actions against him, nor does he have any restrictions or conditions on his medical license.

Henderson police this past summer reported confiscating several computers, two video cameras, a cell phone and a global positioning system from Hess' home, according to an inventory filed after the May 13 searches. Police also seized white plastic trash bags and a computer from Hess' medical office.

The search warrant issued by a Henderson judge shows police were looking for alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication also known as Xanax, plus a particular type of white medium-sized trash bags and samples of Hess' handwriting.

Blasberg, who was in her sixth season on the LPGA tour, was a former junior golf standout as an All-American in 2003 and 2004. While at the University of Arizona, she was named the 2003 NCAA Freshman of the Year and 2003 Pac-10 Player of the Year.

She turned professional in June 2004. Her best year on the tour was 2008, when she earned more than $113,000.

After Blasberg's death in May, family and friends held a memorial service for her in her hometown at the Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, Calif.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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