Former Seattle Police Captain Says Kurt Cobain Case Should Be Reopened

More than three decades after Kurt Cobain’s death, the debate around the Nirvana frontman has flared again.

Content Warning: This article discusses suicide.

A former Seattle Police captain now believes Cobain was murdered and is calling for the case to be reopened, this follows the report made by forensic specialist Brian Burnett and researcher Michelle Wilkins who claim autopsy details raised serious questions.

Cobain was found dead on April 8th, 1994, inside a greenhouse at his Seattle home. Authorities ruled the death a suicide caused by a shotgun wound to the head, the Seattle Police Department has consistently stood by that conclusion (per Loudwire).

But retired captain Neil Low, who served with the department for 50 years before retiring in 2018, has publicly challenged the original investigation:

“I just am not buying that Kurt did that to himself”

Low did not work the original 1994 investigation. However, in 2005 he was asked by his chief to conduct an audit of the case file.

“I just am not buying that Kurt did that to himself,” Low told Daily Mail, claiming the investigation was mishandled and staged to resemble a suicide.

He argued that there were inconsistencies in the documentation and blood evidence, as well as missing notes and conflicting details between the autopsy and police reports.

“One thing about report writing is the human error factor: misheard, misunderstood, transposed thoughts and forgotten details,” Low said.

“They were led astray. I might have fallen for it too, but now I think it’s a homicide and I do think the case should be reopened… I’ve read the case and I can tell you what the evidence says because that’s what I did for a living and it does say not suicide.”

Questions Around Evidence

Low has also pointed to the amount of heroin reportedly found in Cobain’s system, claiming it would have made operating a shotgun difficult, he further questioned blood spatter patterns and the condition of Cobain’s hands based on crime scene photographs.

The Seattle Police Department has reaffirmed its position, stating: “Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994. This continues to be the position held by the Seattle Police Department.”

Cobain’s death remains one of the most scrutinised and discussed moments in rock history, and for many fans, the wounds never fully closed.

Follow me on Facebook: