A new private investigation is reigniting controversy over Kurt Cobain’s death—more than three decades after it was officially ruled a suicide.
Cobain, the Nirvana frontman, was found dead at his Seattle home in April 1994 from a gunshot wound. The King County Medical Examiner concluded he died by suicide using a 20-gauge shotgun. That ruling has stood for 32 years.
Now, an unofficial group of forensic specialists claims the original findings do not tell the full story.
According to the team, which includes private-sector forensic analysts and independent researchers, a re-examination of the autopsy has raised questions about whether Cobain’s death occurred as previously determined. One member of the group, Michelle Wilkins, said that after reviewing the medical documentation, she believes the physical findings are inconsistent with an immediate death from a shotgun wound.
The team has reportedly consulted Brian Burnett, a specialist familiar with cases involving drug overdoses and gunshot trauma. In a peer-reviewed paper cited by the group, researchers argue that certain autopsy details, including organ damage and signs of oxygen deprivation, are more consistent with a heroin overdose than with a fatal shotgun blast alone.
Wilkins has suggested that the evidence could point to a scenario in which Cobain was incapacitated by drugs before being shot, and that the scene may have been staged. She has questioned the presence of receipts and the positioning of items at the scene, arguing that the details appear unusually orderly.
At the time of his death, investigators reported that Cobain had injected a large amount of heroin prior to the gunshot wound. The autopsy documented fluid in the lungs and other physiological findings. Police concluded those findings were consistent with the combination of drug use and a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the renewed claims in a statement, saying the original investigation was thorough and conducted according to established procedures. The office added that it remains open to reviewing new evidence but has not seen anything that would justify reopening the case or revising its determination.
Cobain’s death has long been the subject of speculation and conspiracy theories. While the official ruling remains unchanged, this latest inquiry is once again drawing attention to unanswered questions that continue to resonate with fans and critics alike.
