Complaint Alleges Seattle Police Ignored Evidence Challenging Kurt Cobain Suicide Ruling

A complaint lodged with the Seattle Police Department's Office of Police Accountability (OPA) alleges that officials failed to examine evidence challenging the suicide ruling in the 1994 death of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. The OPA is currently assessing the complaint, which targets former Police Chief Shon Barnes for the department's response to researchers seeking a renewed examination of the case.

Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain died on April 5, 1994, at age 27, from a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his Seattle home. Investigators recovered a suicide note, a shotgun, and a nearby heroin kit, leading them to conclude that the musician had taken his own life. The King County Medical Examiner determined that Cobain died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and ruled his death a suicide. Cobain shared daughter Frances Bean with singer Courtney Love.

Cobain's body was discovered in the greenhouse above his garage by an electrician who had arrived to install security lighting three days after he died. The Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun found at the scene was destroyed in 2022 at the request of Cobain's family. An email obtained by the Daily Mail reveals that the shotgun was destroyed at the request of Cobain's family in 2022. Another file shows the date and location where the gun was destroyed.

The researchers brought evidence forth that challenges the suicide ruling, claiming it was not properly reviewed. The complaint suggests that inconsistencies in the handling of new forensic findings were overlooked. The city's Office of Police Accountability is reviewing the complaint against former Chief Shon Barnes over the department's response to researchers seeking a fresh examination of the case.