Seattle's former police chief, Shon Barnes, reportedly admitted to inconsistencies between collected evidence and the official police report concerning the 1994 death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. These claims have prompted an investigation by the city's Office of Police Accountability (OPA).
Barnes allegedly made these statements during a meeting last year with members of "Who Killed Kurt?", a group of volunteer researchers who advocate for reopening Cobain's case, believing his death was a homicide staged to look like a suicide. According to sources involved, Barnes acknowledged that evidence gathered at the time contradicted the conclusions presented in the original police report.
Cobain, 27, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at his Seattle home in April 1994. The investigation swiftly concluded it was a suicide.
During a November 2025 meeting with "Who Killed Kurt?" lead investigator Michelle Wilkins and legal advisor Mark Larson, Barnes reportedly discussed forensic evidence indicating a lack of blood on Cobain's left hand, the hand he supposedly used to hold the shotgun. Larson suggested this could imply Cobain's hand was placed on the weapon after his death. Barnes allegedly responded by saying, "So that's the explanation – the hand is placed after the blood-spatter event."
When the group questioned the swift suicide determination, Barnes, who was not with the department at the time of Cobain's death, stated that investigations treat all deaths as potential homicides until a determination is made.
Barnes resigned as Seattle Police Department chief in July after facing criticism for his handling of a mass shooting incident. The OPA initiated its review of the Cobain case on June 28 following a complaint from a supporter of "Who Killed Kurt?".
Wilkins expressed hope that the OPA's investigation would clarify the actions taken by the Seattle Police Department after receiving the researchers' new forensic analysis. She stated in an email to the OPA on October 5 that it appeared no further testing or investigation occurred after the meeting with Barnes, which she described as a potential dereliction of duty.
In January, the Seattle Police Department announced it would not reopen the investigation, upholding the findings of a 2014 cold-case review that found no evidence of foul play.
Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, had previously requested the entire police file on his death in 1995, seeking to have no copies retained by the department. The department denied this request at the time.
Bev Ireland, a researcher and media liaison for "Who Killed Kurt?", called the OPA's review of matters involving Barnes "encouraging," asserting that the multidisciplinary report presented to Barnes warranted careful scrutiny rather than dismissal. Neither Barnes, the OPA, nor the SPD have responded to requests for comment.