More than three decades after Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home, forensic researchers are disputing the longstanding conclusion that he died by suicide.

Bryan Burnett and Michelle Wilkins, described as forensic specialists, have published peer-reviewed research asserting that Cobain's death was a homicide.

"This is a homicide," Burnett told the Daily Mail. "We've got to do something about this." 

Their study examined 10 evidentiary points that they say indicate the presence of at least one other person prior to Cobain's death.

According to their findings, Cobain was given a fatal heroin overdose, shot in the head by another person, and left with what they describe as a fabricated suicide note.

Wilkins characterized the scene as deliberately arranged. 

"It looks like someone staged a movie and wanted you to be absolutely certain this was a suicide," she said.

Wilkins cited physical evidence she said was inconsistent with a self-inflicted shotgun wound. 

She told the Daily Mail that the organ damage observed could only have resulted from an overdose rather than a gunshot wound.

She also pointed to blood patterns that she said indicate the body had been repositioned.

Further, Wilkins questioned items found at the scene. 

"The receipt for the gun is in his pocket. The receipt for the shells is in his pocket. The shells are lined up at his feet," she said. "We're supposed to believe he capped the needles and put everything back in order after shooting up three times, because that's what someone does while they're dying. Suicides are messy, and this was a very clean scene."

Cobain was discovered dead on April 5, 1994, by an electrician at his residence. He was 27. Authorities located a note near his body and subsequently ruled the death a suicide.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office said through a spokesperson that it had worked alongside local law enforcement in reaching that determination and remains open to revisiting its findings. 

The Seattle Police Department, however, said it continues to stand by its original conclusion. 

"Our detective concluded that he died by suicide, and this continues to be the position held by this department," a spokesperson said, according to The Daily Mail.

Questions surrounding Cobain's death have persisted for decades. In 2014, Seattle police conducted a review of the case. At that time, spokeswoman Renee Witt stated that the examination uncovered only previously unseen photographs and yielded no new findings.

Federal authorities have also received communications from members of the public. 

In 2021, the FBI released documents related to correspondence urging the bureau to investigate suspicions of murder. 

The materials included letters, emails, and faxes sent between 1997 and 2006 by people whose names were redacted. Those communications cited media reports and documentaries.

One fax referenced claims by Los Angeles private investigator Tom Grant regarding alleged "inconsistencies" in the investigation. 

The released records also included a response from the FBI after a letter was sent to then-Attorney General Janet Reno.

"Your recent communication to Attorney General Janet Reno expressing your belief that Kurt Cobain was murdered has been referred to the FBI for reply," the bureau wrote. "Based on the limited information you provided, we are unable to justify any violation of federal law within the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI. We are, therefore, unable to take any investigative action in this case."

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