COBAIN DEATH FORENSICS: SCIENTISTS SAY IT WAS HOMICIDE

## The Same Old Song A team of forensic scientists led by Brian Burnett and Michelle Wilkins has published a peer-reviewed paper in the International Journal of Forensic Science suggesting Kurt Cobain's 1994 death was homicide, not suicide. The case remains officially closed as of February 2026, despite requests from the independent researchers to reopen it. After three days of reviewing crime scene evidence and autopsy reports, Burnett concluded "This is a homicide. We've got to do something about this," according to independent researcher Michelle Wilkins. The team questions how someone with ten times the lethal limit of heroin in their system could carefully pack away their drug equipment before shooting themselves. "We're supposed to believe he capped the needles and put everything back in order after shooting up three times, because that's what someone does while they're dying," Wilkins told Newsweek. ## The Evidence Pile The forensic analysis highlights organ damage including necrosis of the brain and liver, which the team argues "happens in an overdose. It doesn't happen in a shotgun death." Cobain's blood morphine level measured 1.52 mg/L, roughly three times a lethal dose even for someone with heroin tolerance. "If you ever look at photos of shotgun suicides, they are brutal. There is no universe where that hand is not covered in blood," Wilkins stated, pointing to the lack of blood spatter on Cobain's left hand found gripping the gun barrel. "To me, it looks like someone staged a movie and wanted you to be absolutely certain this was a suicide," Wilkins said, referencing receipts for the gun and shells found in Cobain's pocket and shells lined up at his feet. ## The Conspiracy Industrial Complex Private investigator Tom Grant, originally hired by Courtney Love to find Cobain, has promoted murder theories for over 30 years. Grant was hired by Love when Cobain left a Los Angeles rehab center days before his death and his body was discovered at his Seattle home on April 8, 1994. Seattle homicide detective Mike Ciesynski, who reviewed the case, dismissed Grant's theories, saying "An experienced detective would never have come up with the theories that he's come up with." Music journalist Charles R. Cross, who wrote the definitive Cobain biography, argues Grant's work "does Cobain's legacy a disservice" and that "anyone who actually knew Kurt Cobain, knew that he suffered from depression and addiction-related issues his entire life." ## Official Response: Not Today Seattle Police Department and King County Medical Examiner's Office issued identical responses to the new claims. "Our office is always open to revisiting its conclusions if new evidence comes to light, but we've seen nothing to date that would warrant re-opening of this case," a spokesperson told Newsweek. The Burnett-Wilkins team operates as "an unofficial private sector team of forensic scientists," and their findings should be viewed with appropriate skepticism. Michelle Wilkins reportedly operates a YouTube channel critical of Courtney Love, raising questions about potential bias in the investigation. The truth? As of February 2026, Kurt Cobain's death remains classified as a suicide. This latest challenge will join the pile with Tom Grant's theories, the FBI file, and 32 years of conspiracy content. The authorities have heard it all before, and their answer remains the same: no.