Kurt Cobain’s Cause of Death Questioned After Autopsy is Revealed for First Time

More than three decades after his shocking death, new claims are once again putting the spotlight on Kurt Cobain — and fueling fresh debate about what really happened inside his Seattle home in April 1994.

The Nirvana frontman was just 27 when he was found dead on April 8, 1994, in the greenhouse above the garage of his Seattle residence. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, citing a self-inflicted shotgun wound, a handwritten note, and the weapon found in his left hand. The case was closed quickly — and has remained officially unchanged ever since.

But newly surfaced autopsy documents and a private forensic review are now reigniting long-standing “murder” theories that have followed Cobain’s death for years.

Cobain, the voice behind Nirvana’s grunge-defining anthems like “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” became one of the most famous members of the so-called “27 Club” — a tragic list of stars who died at age 27. His death devastated fans and cemented his legacy as one of rock’s most tortured icons.

Now, independent forensic researcher Bryan Burnett claims elements of the original investigation don’t add up.

According to Burnett, a previously undocumented bloodstain was identified on Cobain’s left pant leg after enhanced image analysis. In a peer-reviewed study published in November, Burnett argued the stain pattern appeared consistent with transfer blood — not simple pooling beneath a body.

He also questioned the distribution of blood on Cobain’s clothing. Blood was reportedly found on his shirt, and Burnett claims the flow patterns suggest the upper body may have been moved after the fatal injury.

“If the body had remained in place,” he argued in his findings, blood from Cobain’s mouth, nose, and ear would likely have pooled differently on the floor. Instead, the analysis suggests the possibility that the body was repositioned.

Another major point of contention centers on toxicology results.

The autopsy documented morphine, codeine, diazepam, and heroin in Cobain’s system. Researchers behind the new review questioned whether the reported morphine level — 1.52 mg/L — would have caused sedation so quickly that it might have impaired his ability to carry out the sequence of events described in the official suicide scenario.

The report also notes what was described as a syringe imprint, suggesting it “seems unlikely” to have been self-administered — though this remains speculative and unproven.

The autopsy itself described a catastrophic intraoral shotgun wound, with investigators recovering approximately 30 small lead shot pellets and a plastic shotgun shell wad from the brain. At the time, authorities reported no signs of a struggle beyond broken glass near the atrium entry.

Questions have also been raised about the positioning of the shotgun. Burnett has argued that recoil and backspatter should have produced visible blood on Cobain’s hand. While blood was reportedly found inside parts of the gun, documentation of blood on his left hand has been debated by independent reviewers.

Still, the Seattle Police Department has remained firm.

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

Cobain’s death has long been the subject of documentaries, books, and conspiracy theories — particularly given his fame, struggles with addiction, and the intense public scrutiny surrounding his marriage to Courtney Love.

For many fans, the tragedy marked the end of an era. Nirvana had redefined alternative rock in the early ’90s, turning Cobain into an unlikely global superstar almost overnight. Behind the music, however, he was open about battling depression and substance abuse.

Whether these new forensic claims will change any official findings remains to be seen. For now, authorities stand by the original ruling.

But as newly revealed documents circulate and private investigators continue to dissect the case, the questions surrounding one of rock’s most infamous deaths show no sign of fading.