Kurt Cobain’s death is one of the most tragic losses the music world has ever suffered. The Nirvana frontman died more than 30 years ago, from a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his home in Seattle, Washington.
But now, a group of independent researchers claims that they have gathered enough evidence to prove Cobain’s death was a homicide. This certainly isn’t a new idea, as conspiracy theorists have speculated as such for years.
The late grunge icon died on April 5, 1994, with the King County Medical Examiner ruling his death a suicide
The Daily Mail reports that an “unofficial private sector team of forensic scientists” has undertaken a new investigation. They have researched Cobain’s autopsy results, as well as the crime scene materials. They also brought in a specialist named Brian Burnett. He’s previously assisted with investigations involving gunshot trauma that have been preceded by drug overdose.
Independent researcher Michelle Wilkins told Daily Mail that after three days of looking over the reports and evidence, Burnett said, “This is a homicide. We’ve got to do something about this.” Wilkins went on to detail what the team believes happened. She said that the signs around Cobain’s death are not consistent with an “instantaneous” gunshot.
The independent researchers believe that one or more assailants confronted Cobain and forced an overdose of heroin into his body. This was to incapacitate him. He was then shot in the head, and the gun was placed in his arms. Finally, the assailants left behind a fake suicide note to throw anyone off the trail.
The weapon recovered from the scene of Cobain’s death was a Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun
“There are things in the autopsy that go, well, wait, this person didn’t die very quickly of a gunshot blast,” Wilkins stated. She cited organ damage from oxygen deprivation as the rationale for this. “The necrosis of the brain and liver happens in an overdose. It doesn’t happen in a shotgun death.”
“To me, it looks like someone staged a movie and wanted you to be absolutely certain this was a suicide,” Wilkins added. “The receipt for the gun is in his pocket. The receipt for the shells is in his pocket. The shells are lined up at his feet.”
To provide some context on Brian Burnett, the Daily Mail noted that he “has decades of experience analyzing crime scenes and interpreting complex evidence.” He’s delivered “expert analysis” in controversial cases across the country, and his work has earned him “national recognition.”
The Seattle Police Department stands by its findings in Cobain’s death as a suicide
In response, a spokesperson for the Medical Examiner’s Office offered a statement to the Daily Mail: “King County Medical Examiner’s Office worked with the local law enforcement agency, conducted a full autopsy, and followed all of its procedures in coming to the determination of the manner of death as a suicide.”
The statement added: “Our office is always open to revisiting its conclusions if new evidence comes to light, but we’ve seen nothing to date that would warrant re-opening of this case and our previous determination of death.”
A spokesperson from the Seattle Police Department also spoke with Daily Mail. “Our detective concluded that he died by suicide, and this continues to be the position held by this department,” the spokesperson said.
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