Seattle Police Reject Fresh Claims of Kurt Cobain Homicide
Seattle police have reiterated that Kurt Cobain’s 1994 death remains a closed case ruled as suicide, after a new round of claims from private researchers suggested the Nirvana frontman may have been killed. The renewed dispute has surfaced more than 30 years after Cobain was found dead at his Seattle home.
An unofficial team of private forensic researchers has questioned the original ruling, with independent researcher Ms. Michelle Wilkins saying the group enlisted forensic specialist Mr. Brian Burnett, who reviewed autopsy and scene materials and concluded the evidence indicated homicide.
According to the report, Wilkins said the group’s paper outlines 10 points, including claims of organ damage consistent with oxygen deprivation prior to the gunshot. The team also alleged the scene was staged, describing elements such as a heroin overdose and a forged note, though no US authority has announced any change to the official finding.
A spokesman for the King County Medical Examiner’s Office said the office conducted a full autopsy in coordination with law enforcement and would reconsider only if new evidence emerges. In Seattle, police said they are not reopening the case and continue to hold that Cobain died by suicide, echoing the position that has stood since 1994, when the cause of death was determined to be a self-inflicted shotgun wound.
The latest round of claims follows years of periodic scrutiny around Cobain’s death, a topic that has continued to circulate through books, documentaries and online discussion, including a previous forensic challenge to the official ruling covered by Alternative Nation.
For now, the official stance has not shifted: authorities say the case remains closed, and any reconsideration would require material new evidence rather than reinterpretations of existing records. The controversy nonetheless underscores the enduring fascination around Cobain’s legacy and how quickly renewed claims can reignite long-running debates.
