Kurt Cobain’s Autopsy Revealed for the First Time Fueling Fresh ‘Murder’ Buzz

More than three decades after Kurt Cobain was found dead inside his Seattle home, explosive new claims are reigniting one of rock’s most controversial debates.

The Nirvana icon, who became part of the infamous “27 Club,” died in April 1994 from what authorities ruled a self-inflicted shotgun wound. But newly examined autopsy records — reviewed for the first time by a group of independent forensic researchers — are now being cited by some as grounds to revisit the case.

Seattle police, however, are standing firm.

“Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994,” a department spokesperson reiterated. “This continues to be the position held by the Seattle Police Department.”

Cobain was discovered on April 8, 1994, in the greenhouse area above the detached garage of his home. According to the King County Medical Examiner, he suffered a shotgun wound to the head. A handwritten note was found nearby, and a shotgun was positioned in his left hand.

The autopsy was signed in June 1994 by then–chief medical examiner Dr. Donald Reay. While details of the findings were documented at the time, the full report was not widely circulated publicly.

Authorities said there were no signs of a struggle beyond broken glass from the atrium entry.

Now, independent crime scene reconstruction expert Bryan Burnett and his team claim certain elements of the scene don’t align with the official narrative.

According to Burnett, enhanced crime scene photos revealed what he described as an “undocumented” bloodstain on Cobain’s left pant leg. In a peer-reviewed paper published last fall, he argued the pattern resembled a transfer stain — not blood pooling naturally beneath a body.

He also questioned blood distribution on Cobain’s shirt, suggesting that blood from his mouth, nose, and ear should have flowed differently if the body had remained stationary.

In his analysis, Burnett wrote that the upper body may have been moved after the fatal wound, possibly repositioned before being staged in the greenhouse area.

Those conclusions, however, have not prompted any official reopening of the case.

Toxicology results at the time showed morphine, codeine, diazepam, and heroin in Cobain’s system.

Burnett and fellow researchers now argue that the morphine levels — reportedly measured at 1.52 mg/L — would likely have caused rapid sedation, potentially impairing Cobain’s ability to carry out the sequence of events described in the original police findings.

Their report questions whether he could have administered the drugs himself and then acted with enough coordination to stage the scene.

The autopsy detailed the catastrophic intraoral shotgun wound and noted the recovery of dozens of small lead shot pellets and a shotgun shell wad from the brain.

Still, critics of the homicide theory point out that multiple prior reviews — including a 2014 Seattle police re-examination of evidence — reaffirmed the suicide ruling.

Cobain’s death has long been a lightning rod for conspiracy theories. From fan-led investigations to documentaries, the case continues to fascinate both die-hard Nirvana loyalists and skeptics alike.

For many, the renewed attention underscores how deeply the singer’s life — and tragic end — remain woven into music history.

For law enforcement, though, the conclusion has not changed.

The question now isn’t just what happened in April 1994 — but whether public interest in revisiting the case will ever truly fade.