A team of independent forensic scientists are calling for a fresh investigation into the death of Kurt Cobain after an “exhaustive” look at the late rocker’s autopsy led them to believe one or more individuals may have been involved in his death.
Cobain’s 1994 death, which came at the zenith of the 1990s Seattle grunge scene, shook the music world to its core. The King County Medical Examiner’s office ruled at the time that the 27-year-old Nirvana frontman’s death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
But the forensic team, which included independent researcher Michelle Wilkins and specialist Brian Burnett, recently spent three days examining the death and concluded in a peer-reviewed document that his death was a homicide, according to Complex.
The team’s allegations touch upon well-worn theories about the manner of Cobain’s death that haven’t sat right with fans in over 30 years, including that he was forced to take a massive dose of heroin before he was shot, and that his two suicide notes used different handwriting styles.
Despite the team’s findings, the Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement that the results of their initial autopsy ruling still stand.
“King County Medical Examiner’s Office worked with the local law enforcement agency, conducted a full autopsy, and followed all of its procedures in coming to the determination of the manner of death as a suicide,” the statement read.
However, the agency left the door open a crack to re-investigate the case “if new evidence comes to light,” however they say they’ve “seen nothing to date that would warrant re-opening of this case and our previous determination of death.”
A month before his death, Cobain was hospitalized in Rome after overdosing on a combination of Rohypnol and champagne, which his then-spouse Courtney Love claimed was a suicide attempt.
The troubled singer’s struggles with depression and drug addiction were well-documented and continued accelerating until his tragic passing.
Cobain’s death at the age of 27 placed him in the so-called “27 Club” of legendary artists and performers who died at the same age under circumstances involving substance abuse or mental health struggles.
Other members of the club include Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones and Amy Winehouse.
