Former Seattle Officer Calls Kurt Cobain's Death A Homicide

Kurt Cobain’s death has long been ruled a suicide, but a former Seattle Police captain is now challenging that conclusion. 

More than three decades after the Nirvana frontman was found lifeless in his Seattle home, retired officer Neil Low claims the physical evidence “does not add up.” 

After reviewing the case years later, Low now believes the investigation was mishandled and says the rock legend’s death should be reconsidered as a possible homicide.

Kurt Cobain was found lifeless in a greenhouse attached to his Seattle home. Within a few hours, investigators declared his death a suicide. 

He died on April 5 at age 27 from a shotgun wound to the head. His body was discovered three days later by an electrician who was installing security lighting at the house.

At the time, the King County Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide by a Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun. 

The weapon was found in his arms, and a suicide note was located in a nearby potted plant. 

That ruling has stood for more than three decades, even as alternative theories continued to circulate.

Despite the official conclusion, questions have resurfaced over the years. Recently, a group of independent researchers released a paper claiming the evidence points to homicide, further fueling debate about the rock star’s final moments.

Neil Low, who spent 50 years with the Seattle Police Department and retired in 2018, was asked by his chief to audit the Kurt Cobain case in 2005. 

Although he did not work on the initial investigation and it was not conducted at his assigned precinct, he was given full access to the case file and evidence collected at the scene.

“I just am not buying that Kurt did that to himself,” Low told the Daily Mail, describing the original investigation as “botched.” 

He added, “I’ve read the case, and I can tell you what the evidence says because that’s what I did for a living, and it does say not suicide.”

Low pointed to what he called anomalies in blood evidence, the violence of the shotgun wound, and inconsistencies in reports. 

He also noted missing notes, omitted witness observations, and conflicting details. 

“One thing about report writing is the human error factor: misheard, misunderstood, transposed thoughts, and forgotten details,” Low said.

During a case audit, an officer conducts a thorough and objective review of an investigation to ensure procedures and records meet legal standards. 

However, the audit is not meant to change the original ruling. Low now believes investigators approached the case with a fixed mindset. 

“They were led astray. I might have fallen for it, too, but now I think it’s a homicide, and I do think the case should be reopened.” He added, “I think they went in with their mind made up. It was a suicide.”

He also criticized how early conclusions were shared publicly. SPD spokesman Vinette Tishi spoke to reporters shortly after the body was discovered, walking down the driveway with Medical Examiner Dr. Donald Reay. 

“It was obvious this man is dead from a shotgun wound to the head… Now there was a suicide note left inside the house,” Tishi said in a recorded interview.

Low argued such statements should have come from the medical examiner’s office, not police spokespeople. He believes early assumptions shaped the entire investigation. 

Low raised concerns about forensic details, including photos that appear to show Kurt Cobain’s hands unusually clean. 

“The birdshot went into his skull and really did a number,” he said. “All the pellets were accounted for, but the impact would have been so forceful that it would have produced a significant spray, not just a little, a large spray.”

He questioned why Cobain would choose such a violent method, noting that he wasn’t a violent person.

 According to Low, the musician would have been satisfied with ending his life in a less violent way. 

Medical records showed the amount of heroin in Cobain’s system was roughly three times a lethal dose. 

Low suggested assistance may have been required to inject that much.

Documentation has also been scrutinized. A 1994 SPD report described a Gray Top Cabs driver picking up a passenger from Cobain’s residence who did not match the description of the residence.

The report also stated that the driver and passenger could not find a store to buy ammunition. However, a 2014 SPD report omitted both the passenger mismatch and the ammunition issue.

The autopsy mentioned a handwritten note in black ink found in Cobain’s pocket referencing ammunition and the Remington shotgun. 

Yet the official 1994 SPD report noted only a receipt for the gun bearing a friend’s name, Dillon Carlson.

Independent researcher Michelle Wilkins said, “The original report explicitly says the passenger didn’t match the residence. That alone suggests it may not have been Kurt.” 

She also noted that Cobain, an experienced gun owner, would likely have known where to buy ammunition.

Low further criticized the handling of the scene, questioning whether DNA was collected, whether Cobain’s nails were scraped, and whether the area was preserved properly. 

He described the situation as “prime scene tourism,” noting that at least 12 officers went in and out of the room where Cobain’s body was found, potentially contaminating evidence.