This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
More than 30 years after Kurt Cobain, the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Washington-founded band Nirvana, was found dead, his case is getting a fresh look.
After reviewing evidence, a private sector forensic team brought in independent forensic specialist Brian Burnett, who, after three days, determined Cobain’s death was a homicide, according to The Daily Mail.
“We’ve got to do something about this,” Burnett told the team.
However, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is standing firm on its original ruling of suicide.
“Our detective concluded that he died by suicide, and this continues to be the position held by this department,” an SPD spokesperson told The Daily Mail.
Independent researcher Michelle Wilkins, who also worked with the team, believes Cobain’s death was orchestrated.
“To me, it looks like someone staged a movie and wanted you to be absolutely certain this was a suicide,” she told The Daily Mail. “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.”
Forensic team points to inconsistencies
The new report pointed out that the heroin kit found near Cobain was neatly organized.
“We’re supposed to believe he capped the needles and put everything back in order after shooting up three times, because that’s what someone does while they’re dying,” Wilkins told The Daily Mail. “Suicides are messy, and this was a very clean scene.”
Police reported that Cobain had injected 10 times the normal amount of heroin. His autopsy findings, too, were more consistent with an overdose than a gunshot death.
Wilkins believes Cobain was immobilized before the fatal gunshot, making it impossible for him to handle a gun that size.
The team also believes the suicide note was tampered with.
“The top of the note is written by Kurt. There’s nothing about suicide in that. It’s basically just him talking about quitting the band,” Wilkins told The Daily Mail. “Then there are four lines at the bottom. If you even look at the note, you can see that the last four lines are written in different … the text is a little bit different. It’s bigger, it looks more scrawly.”
However, even with the evidence presented, SPD said it is not reopening the case, nor is the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“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 reopening of this case and our previous determination of death,” the medical examiner’s office told The Daily Mail.
Cobain battled mental health issues
Cobain, born in Aberdeen, put the Pacific Northwest on the music map by ushering in the grunge movement.
He formed a band in 1987, and in 1988, the iconic “Nirvana” debuted in Seattle, according to HistoryLink.
The 1991 album “Nevermind” was an instant success, with songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” becoming immediate anthems.
Early in his career, he began dabbling in heroin to combat a mysterious illness, which led to various drug overdoses.
In April 1994, it was announced that Cobain had been found dead in his home. An electrical contractor discovered his body in the garage behind his mansion, and police reports stated he had committed suicide by shotgun a few days earlier.
Cobain was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at a young age and later with bipolar disorder. He also had a family history of suicide, according to multiple biographers.
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