Ahead of the 32nd anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death, a former Seattle police captain who once reviewed the case is raising new doubts about the official ruling. Cobain, the Nirvana frontman, was found dead in April 1994 at age 27 from a shotgun wound to the head. His death was ruled a suicide by the King County medical examiner, a conclusion that has stood for more than three decades.
Now, retired Seattle Police Department captain Neil Low, who spent 50 years with the department before retiring in 2018, says he believes the physical evidence does not align with that determination.
Low was asked in 2005 by then-police leadership to audit the case. He said he was given full access to investigative files and evidence during that review. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Low said he does not believe Cobain took his own life and described the original investigation as flawed. “I just am not buying that Kurt did that to himself,” Low said, adding that he believes the case should be reopened.
He pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in blood evidence, questions surrounding the force of the shotgun blast, and discrepancies between autopsy findings and police reports. He also raised concerns about the condition of Cobain’s hands in scene photographs and the level of heroin recorded in medical findings.
“One thing about report writing is the human error factor,” Low shared. “Misheard, misunderstood, transposed thoughts, and forgotten details. They were led astray. I might have fallen for it, too, but now I think it’s a homicide.”
He further questioned early public statements made at the scene by police spokesperson Vinette Tishi and medical examiner Dr. Donald Reay, suggesting investigators may have approached the scene with a predetermined conclusion.
At the time of Cobain’s death, police stated that he was found with a Remington Model 11 20-gauge shotgun in his arms and a note nearby. His body was discovered in a greenhouse attached to his Seattle home by an electrician installing security lighting.
In response to Low’s recent claims, the Seattle Police Department reiterated its long-held position, telling the Daily Mail: “Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994. This continues to be the position held by the Seattle Police Department.”
Despite ongoing public speculation over the years, the official ruling remains unchanged.
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