Kurt Cobain’s harrowing autopsy – overdose, tragic final note and undiscovered for days

The world was left devastated when Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain tragically ended his own life 30 years ago.

The legendary singer-songwriter was just 27 when he shot himself on April 5, 1994, at his home on Lake Washington Boulevard, outside of Seattle, Washington. His body was discovered three days later by electrician Gary Smith, who initially thought Cobain was merely sleeping.

However, the sight of blood trickling from Cobain’s ear revealed a more horrifying reality. An autopsy confirmed that Cobain had been dead for several days, with the official date of death established as April 5, 1994.

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Alongside his body, a suicide note addressed to his imaginary childhood friend Boddah was found. In the note, Cobain wrote: “I don’t have the passion anymore, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away,” referencing a lyric from Neil Young’s song My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue).

He also implored his wife, Courtney Love, the lead vocalist of Hole, to “please keep going” for their daughter Frances. The note concluded with a heartbreaking declaration in capital letters: “I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!”

Despite this, many have questioned whether Cobain’s death was indeed a suicide, giving rise to numerous conspiracy theories suggesting that the rock star was murdered.

In 2014, two decades after Kurt’s tragic demise, Seattle Police Detective Mike Ciesynski was tasked with reviewing the evidence surrounding the case as part of the cold case unit. Here’s what he discovered.

A history marked by tragedy

Kurt’s suicide wasn’t his first attempt at ending his own life. In March 1994, the star overdosed on a lethal mix of champagne and Rohypnol, and was discovered by wife Courtney the following morning while in Rome for medical treatment.

He was immediately rushed to hospital for treatment, and discharged five days later. Later that same month, Courtney reached out to the police to inform them that Kurt was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a firearm – but when they arrived, he insisted he had only locked himself in there to avoid his wife.

However, police seized four firearms, 25 boxes of ammunition, and a bottle of pills from the rock legend. His distraught wife arranged an intervention to tackle his drug addiction, eventually convincing Kurt to detox at the Exodus Recovery Centre in LA.

The 27-year-old saw his daughter Frances for the last time during visitation hours, but the following night he scaled a 6-foot fence and flew back home to Seattle.

Undeveloped film

Detective Clesynski found some camera film that had never been developed, containing photos of the original 1994 crime scene. Allegedly, it was scene sergeant Don Cameron who decided not to develop it at the time, instead ensuring it was securely stored away in the records room safe.

Fearing the film’s ongoing deterioration, the detective processed it, revealing an odd green tint to the photos. In the images, what seemed to be a wallet, a lighter and a packet of cigarettes could be identified, along with sunglasses and a winter hat.

Kurt’s heroin apparatus was also captured in the pictures – an old Tom Moore Cigars box filled with syringes, a spoon, and other drug paraphernalia.

Drugs

The autopsy was carried out by Assistant Medical Examiner Dr Nikolas Hartshome prior to his own passing in 2002. Detective Ciesynski acknowledged his surprise at the enormous morphine levels in Kurt’s body.

Kurt was reportedly “high on heroin” when he fired his shotgun, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, with traces of valium also found in his system. Trivia from the Chemical Toxicological Institute, which conceded that at “a high concentration, by any account”, was integrated into the autopsy report; though it would hinge on how accustomed to the substance Kurt was then.

Detective Clesynski also recorded needle marks on both arms and detected multiple grams of black tar heroin left in Kurt’s drug kit. He elaborated that this particular type of heroin is usually located near Mississippi on the West Coast, contrasting brown or white heroin typically found in the Eastern US.

Shotgun

Detective Clesynski snapped photos of himself holding the corroded firearm used by Kurt in his suicide, seemingly to debunk conspiracy theorists who suggested that the police had either handed the weapon over to Kurt’s wife Courtney or completely destroyed it. He detailed how he discovered a receipt from a gun shop in Seattle that coincided with the time and place a taxi driver claimed he dropped off a man resembling Kurt.

Kurt’s body was found still clutching the shotgun across his chest.

Conspiracy theories

Despite the compelling evidence, Nirvana fans worldwide were convinced that the police and media were hiding something – specifically, that Kurt had been murdered. Seattle journalist Richard Lee broadcasted a series titled Kurt Cobain Was Murdered, which pointed out apparent inconsistencies in the police reports.

He also alleged that there wasn’t enough blood at the crime scene to account for a point-blank shotgun blast to the head – although pathology experts have argued that a blast inside the mouth, like Kurt’s, can often result in less blood.

Private investigator Tom Grant further asserted that the level of morphine in Kurt’s blood – likely from his heroin intake, as the drug converts to morphine once it enters the bloodstream – was allegedly triple the maximum lethal dose for a severe addict. Tom firmly stated that given the high amount of heroin in Kurt’s system, he would not have been physically capable of lifting the Model 11 20-gauge shotgun to his mouth to trigger his demise.

Speculations were thrown around that Kurt’s suicide note was merely a confession of his departure from Nirvana, an idea solidified by Dave Grohl’s revelation years after that the band was on the edge of disintegration at that time. There were even wild claims suggesting Courtney Love had a hand in Kurt’s supposed “murder”, an allegation visited upon in the 2015 documentary Soaked in Bleach – but none came bolstered with significant proof.

Several books have been penned down pursuing this conspiracy theory, such as Who Killed Kurt Cobain? in 1998 and Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain in 2004. Despite everything, some critics are staunch that the case should have been treated as a possible murder crime.

Danny Goldberg, Nirvana’s former manager, completely called off all theories of homicide circling Kurt’s death in his 2019 book titled Serving the Servant. He referred to the murder claims as “ridiculous” and plainly stated: “He killed himself.”

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk