Authorities refuse to reopen Kurt Cobain death case despite new forensic claims

Seattle police refuse to reopen the 1994 death investigation of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, despite a new forensic report that claims his death was a homicide.

Cobain died on April 5, 1994, at age 27, from what authorities ruled was a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his Seattle home. The King County Medical Examiner concluded he died by suicide using a Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun.

This week, officials reaffirmed that position.

“Our detective concluded that he died by suicide, and this continues to be the position held by this department,” a Seattle Police Department spokesperson said, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office also stated that it has “seen nothing to date that would warrant reopening of this case and our previous determination of death.”

The suicide note attributed to Kurt Cobain, released by the Seattle Police Department. (Courtesy of Seattle Police Department)

Forensic report challenges Kurt Cobain death ruling

An unofficial private sector team of forensic scientists recently reexamined Cobain’s autopsy and crime scene materials.

The group worked with veteran forensic specialist Bryan Burnett and independent researcher Michelle Wilkins.

According to Wilkins, Burnett reviewed the evidence and concluded within days: “This is a homicide. We’ve got to do something about this.”

The team published a peer-reviewed paper in the International Journal of Forensic Sciences. The report outlines ten points of evidence that, they argue, contradict a rapid gunshot death.

A document described by researchers as a practice sheet allegedly used to rehearse the handwriting of the final lines in Kurt Cobain’s suicide note. (Courtesy of whokilledkurt.org)

Their main claims include:

• Autopsy findings such as fluid in the lungs, bleeding in the eyes, and signs of necrosis in the brain and liver, which they say align more with a heroin overdose than an instant shotgun wound.
• The presence of capped syringes and an orderly heroin kit at the scene. Wilkins questioned whether someone dying from an overdose and a gunshot could have “capped the needles and put everything back in order.”
• The placement of Cobain’s left hand on the shotgun barrel. Wilkins said, “There is no universe where that hand is not covered in blood,” yet investigators described it as unusually clean.
• The location of the ejected shotgun shell, which the team argues contradicts the reported hand position and weapon mechanics.
• Allegations that the final lines of the suicide note differ in handwriting style from the rest of the note.

The group claims Cobain may have been incapacitated by a lethal dose of heroin before being shot. They argue the scene was staged to resemble a suicide, with the weapon and note placed afterward.

Wilkins said the team is not calling for arrests but for a formal reexamination of the evidence. “If we’re wrong, just prove it to us. That’s all we asked them to do.”

A cigar box containing heroin paraphernalia that investigators say was found at the scene of Kurt Cobain’s death. (Courtesy of whokilledkurt.org)

Police reaffirm 1994 Cobain suicide finding

Seattle police and the King County Medical Examiner have declined requests to reopen the case.

A spokesperson for the medical examiner said the office conducted a full autopsy and followed all procedures at the time.

Officials added they remain open to revisiting conclusions if new evidence emerges, but said they have not seen material that meets that threshold.

Cobain’s death was officially determined three days after his body was found in a greenhouse above his garage on April 8, 1994. Toxicology reports at the time showed high levels of heroin and traces of sedatives in his system.

The renewed debate has resurfaced decades after the musician’s death and has reignited public discussion around one of rock music’s most scrutinized cases. For now, however, local authorities maintain that the case remains closed.

February 11, 2026 04:35 PM GMT+03:00