New Report Claims Kurt Cobain’s Death May Have Been Homicide

Nearly three decades after Kurt Cobain’s death was ruled a suicide, a new report is once again challenging the official conclusion.

A team of independent researchers is urging Seattle authorities to reopen the Nirvana frontman’s case, arguing that the evidence points toward homicide rather than self inflicted death (per Mens Journal).

Cobain died on April 5th, 1997 at age 27 in his Seattle home, the cause of death was officially ruled a self inflicted shotgun wound, that ruling has stood despite years of speculation and conspiracy theories.

Now, forensic specialist Brian Burnett and researcher Michelle Wilkins claim autopsy details raise serious questions, Burnett who has decades of experience analysing crime scenes and complex evidence, appears to have formally entered the Cobain case for the first time in late 2025 as part of Wilkins’ independent review.

Burnett has previously drawn national attention for his work on disputed cases, including the death of Marine Colonel James Sabow and the investigation into Billey Joe Johnson Jr, where his detailed forensic reconstructions challenged official findings:

“There are things in the autopsy that go, well, wait, this person didn’t die very quickly of a gunshot blast,” Wilkins said.

“The necrosis of the brain and liver happens in an overdose. It doesn’t happen in a shotgun death.”

According to Burnett and Wilkins, Cobain may have been incapacitated by a heroin overdose before the gunshot occurred, they allege the scene was staged to resemble suicide, including a forged note (per Daily Maily).

Wilkins further questioned whether Cobain would have been physically capable of firing the weapon.

“He’s dying of an overdose, and so he can barely breathe, his blood isn’t pumping very much […] I mean, he’s in a coma, and he’s holding this up to be able to reach the trigger to get it in his mouth. It’s crazy.”

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office disagrees

“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,” the office stated.

Seattle Police have also declined previous requests to reopen the case:

“If we’re wrong, just prove it to us. That’s all we asked them to do,” Wilkins said.

Cobain’s death remains one of rock’s most scrutinised tragedies, while the official ruling stands, renewed calls for review continue to surface, whether authorities revisit the case again remains to be seen.

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