Kurt Cobain's death was a homicide, not suicide: Report
The Nirvana frontman passed away in 1994 at the age of 27, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound
February 11, 2026
Kurt Cobain’s 1994 death is facing renewed scrutiny.
More than three decades after the Nirvana frontman was found dead at 27, an unofficial team of forensic investigators now claims the ruling of suicide should be reconsidered, according to a new report by the Daily Mail published February 10.
Cobain died on April 5, 1994, from what the King County Medical Examiner ruled was a self-inflicted shotgun wound from a Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun. But after reviewing the autopsy and crime scene material, forensic specialist Brian Burnett has reached a stark conclusion: “This is a homicide. We've got to do something about this.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, independent researcher Michelle Wilkins, who worked with Burnett, pointed to what the team believes are inconsistencies in the autopsy. “There are things in the autopsy that go, well, wait, this person didn’t die very quickly of a gunshot blast,” she said, citing organ damage she claims aligns more with overdose. “The necrosis of the brain and liver happens in an overdose. It doesn’t happen in a shotgun death.”
She also questioned the staging of the scene. “To me, it looks like someone staged a movie and wanted you to be absolutely certain this was a suicide. 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.”
Wilkins also noted that in his incapacitated state, Cobain should not have been able to pick up, let alone fire, the six-pound gun that fired the fatal shot. She further raised her brows at how “unusually clean” Cobain’s hands were after seemingly shooting himself.
Overall, Wilkins painted a picture of foul play, suggesting that Cobain was forcefully made to overdose on heroin before being shot in the head — by someone else.
Is Kurt Cobain’s case reopened?
The Kurt Cobain death case has not been reopened, despite repeated requests.
A spokesperson from the Seattle Police Department told the Daily Mail, “Our detective concluded that he died by suicide, and this continues to be the position held by this department.”
