Debunking the Kurt-Cobain-was-murdered conspiracy once and for all
Global News
It's been 30 years since Kurt Cobain took his own life. And let's be clear: That's exactly what happened.
When something bad happens, our natural reaction is to ask why. It’s also natural to look for something or someone to blame for this misfortune. And this can often lead us into the world of conspiracies.
I was on the air on Friday, April 8, 1994. In the pre-internet, pre-social media era, radio was how everyone kept up with news in real time. The afternoon went like this.
alancross · Kurt Cobain’s Death: Minute-by-minute announcements from April 8, 1994
For the first few weeks, there was no question Kurt had died by suicide. But little by little, doubts began to creep in. Eventually, there was a full-blown Kurt-was-murdered narrative that extended to talk shows, books, and documentaries. There are still those who believe that Kurt could not have taken his own life and will point to an endless list of inconsistencies in the official story along with “evidence” that shows nefarious actions by shady people.
Stop it. Just … stop.
Having followed this story from the very beginning — and having spoken to people closest to Kurt many times over the years — I’m convinced that he did in fact kill himself. Let’s deconstruct the conspiracy theorists’ evidence. Yes, there are some loose ends, but life isn’t like a 44-minute episode of CSI. On the whole, though, the rational conclusion is inescapable.
1. Kurt was killed because he was threatening to break up Nirvana
THEORY: Tom Grant, a detective hired by Courtney Love to find Kurt when he bolted from rehab — and a major proponent of a murder angle — claims that Kurt was ready to break up Nirvana and join Courtney in Hole. This is a quote from an interview Kurt gave to a French TV journalist in August 1993:
