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Kurt Cobain’s Death: What the Record Establishes About His Final Days

The available record places Kurt Cobain’s estimated death on April 5, 1994, and his discovery three days later. It does not provide a reliable day-by-day account of his final days.
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The public record establishes that Kurt Cobain died at his Seattle residence on or around April 5, 1994, and that his body was discovered three days later. The King County Medical Examiner classified the death as suicide. The available sources do not establish a reliable day-by-day account of his final days, so a precise itinerary would go beyond what they support.

What happened, and when was Cobain found?

A reproduced King County Medical Examiner determination estimates that Cobain died at approximately 18:00 on April 5, 1994, at his Seattle residence. It says a workman discovered his body there on April 8. Contemporary coverage by The Washington Post reported that an electrician found him at home that day and described him as 27.

The distinction between the estimated death date and the discovery date matters: Cobain was not found on April 5. The medical examiner’s estimate is approximate, while April 8 is the date the sources give for discovery.

What does the Medical Examiner’s determination say?

The reproduced determination records the cause of death as a contact penetrating shotgun wound to the head and the manner of death as suicide. It also says a shotgun and a note were found at the residence. The copy is hosted by a third party, not issued by that host; it can be read here.

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These are the Medical Examiner’s recorded findings. They should not be conflated with later commentary or speculation. A Seattle Police Department account of its file review likewise reaffirmed the department’s suicide conclusion.

What is known about the days before his death?

The available timeline is limited. In its April 9, 1994 report, The Washington Post said Cobain was recovering at home after a drug-and-alcohol overdose in Rome the previous month, which had left him in a coma. That contemporaneous report provides context, not a complete medical chronology or a day-by-day account of April.

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The sources cited here do not reliably establish what Cobain did on each of his final days, when he arrived at the residence, or a detailed sequence of events before his death. Gaps in the public record should not be filled with conjecture.

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What did Seattle Police say about its later review?

In a March 31, 2014 post, the Seattle Police Department said Cold Case Detective Mike Ciesynski reviewed the stored file in response to media interest. The department explicitly said the review was not a reopening or reinvestigation. Ciesynski noted that four rolls of scene photographs had not been developed during the initial investigation.

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The department said the case remained closed and quoted Ciesynski: “It’s a suicide. This is a closed case.” Its page was updated on September 1, 2026, to announce the release of additional administrative documents related to the incident. The update describes a document release; it does not say the case was reopened.

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How should claims about the case be assessed?

  • Separate findings from theories. The Medical Examiner’s determination records the cause and manner of death; the police department states its investigative conclusion. The existence of conspiracy theories or unanswered questions in public discussion does not establish an alternative explanation.
  • Check who made the claim. The Seattle Police post is the department’s account of its own review. The medical examiner document linked here is a reproduced copy hosted elsewhere, so describe it as such.
  • Keep dates and estimates distinct. April 5 is the Medical Examiner’s approximate estimated death time; April 8 is the reported discovery date.
  • Do not turn missing detail into a narrative. These sources support key dates and official conclusions, but not a complete itinerary of Cobain’s last days.

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