Thirty years have passed since the tragic death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who took his own life on April 5, 1994.
Cobain had surpassed cult icon status in the ’90s grunge scene to achieve mainstream success, writing two critically acclaimed alternative rock albums and inspiring a generation of artists. of the Arctic Monkeys to Lana del Rey.
But the singer was reportedly uncomfortable with the rise to international stardom. A day after his body was discovered, the Los Angeles Times he referred to a “deeply sensitive man” who “found it difficult to adjust to the sudden acceptance,” as “confused and troubled” as the millions of young people who found solace in his anguished compositions.
Cobain, 27, was found dead in his Seattle home on April 8 with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. A suicide note was found in the apartment that expressed his lack of enthusiasm for his profession. The forensic report estimated that his body had been there for three days. Cobain left behind his wife and a young daughter.
It would be another 27 years before the FBI released its 10-page report on the horrific discovery of Kurt Cobain’s body, including a number of conspiracy theories about the cause of death. The file revealed two letters that shared so-called “evidence” of foul play and the response of the FBI, which decided not to investigate the death as a homicide.
Kurt Cobain during the taping of MTV Unplugged in New York City, November 18, 1993
Kurt Cobain with wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards in Universal City, September 2, 1993
Musician Kurt Cobain performs live on stage, undated
The shocking publication by the FBI in 2021 of letters related to the death of Kurt Cobain sparked a wave of controversial theories from Nirvana fans around the world.
Included were two letters from people who believed Cobain’s death was the result of homicide, contrary to the ruling handed down by police in 1994.
The first, dated September 24, 2003, aforementioned a private investigator licensed by the state of California hired by Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, who allegedly believed foul play was involved and that Love “had something to do with it.”
It also referenced the 1998 book ‘Who Killed Kurt Cobain? The Mysterious Death of an Icon’, and the 1998 film ‘Kurt & Courtney’, centered on the singer and his wife.
The second letter, dated November 20, 2007, referred to the alleged lack of fingerprints on the 20-gauge Remington Model 11 shotgun found on the body, purchased for Cobain by his friend.
He also claimed that the handwriting used in part of the suicide note was different from the rest and referenced the 2001 book ‘Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain’.
“The police who took over the case never took the murder investigation very seriously, but from the beginning they insisted that it was a suicide,” it said.
“This is what bothers me the most because his killer is still out there.”
The letter also stated that Cobain, in his suicide note, “did not mention anything about wanting to die except for the part that was written in different handwriting and seemed to be tacked on at the end.”
The FBI sent identical statements to the authors of both letters, signed by Linda M. Trigeiro-Pabst of the executive secretary’s office.
He read: ‘We appreciate your concern that Mr. Cobain may have been the victim of a homicide.
‘However, most homicide investigations generally fall within the jurisdiction of state and local authorities.
‘In order for the FBI to initiate an investigation into any complaint we receive, specific facts must be present indicating that a violation of federal law has occurred within our investigative jurisdiction.
‘Based on the information you provided, we are unable to identify any violations of federal law within the FBI’s investigative jurisdiction.
“Therefore, we cannot take any investigative action in this case.”
The response was also sent to a third person who spoke with US Attorney General Janet Reno about the matter. This was not included in the file.
Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love pose for a photo at the Hollywood Palladium on December 4, 1992 in Los Angeles, California.
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana with his wife Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain
Kurt Cobain is believed to have died on April 5, 1994, a few weeks after an overdose of champagne and Rohypnol.
The singer was released five days after what Love said was her husband’s first suicide attempt.
About two weeks later, on March 18, 1994, Love told Seattle police that Cobain had committed suicide and locked himself in a room with a gun.
Police arrived and confiscated a .38 caliber revolver and a bottle of several unidentified pills.
Later that night, Cobain told them that he had not planned to take his life, according to Rolling Stone.
Love, family members and bandmates began talking to intervention counselors to help Cobain.
“I was using in Seattle,” one saying. ‘He was in total denial. It was very chaotic. And they feared for his life. It was a crisis.’
On March 25, Love threatened to leave Cobain as part of an intervention at his home. Bandmates Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic threatened to disband the band. After several hours, Cobain and Smear went to rehearse music together.
Love left for Los Angeles at the end of the first day of the intervention, March 30. In Seattle, Cobain asked a friend to buy him a gun, claiming there were trespassers on his property.
Police believe Cobain left the firearm at his home before entering rehab.
Cobain spent only two days in a Los Angeles clinic before calling Love.
“He said, ‘Courtney, whatever happens, I want you to know that you made a really good record,'” she later told an outlet in Seattle.
‘I said, “Well, what do you mean?” And he said, ‘Just remember, no matter what, I love you.'”
Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana
Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl of Nirvana photographed in 1993
Cobain left the clinic and “jumped the fence,” according to Love, on April 1. He subsequently canceled his cards and hired investigators to find him.
On April 4, Cobain’s mother filed a missing person’s report and told police that he might be suicidal.
Cobain seemed to have barricaded himself in the greenhouse of his Seattle home. He wrote a brief note in red ink to his imaginary childhood friend and left his wallet on the ground.
It is believed that at that moment the singer sat down, took drugs and shot himself.
Following the discovery of the body by an electrician on April 8, police ruled that he had died on April 5, although two people claimed to have spoken to him on April 6.
If you are affected by the issues raised in this story, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a hotline for people in crisis and for those seeking to help another person.
To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.
Crisis Text Line is a text message service for support in emotional crises. To text a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It’s free, available 24/7, and confidential.