Newly Released FBI Files About Kurt Cobain Re-Ignite the Questions Surrounding His Death
If you want to know the impact of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain left after his death—just look, well, everywhere. Kid Cudi paid tribute to the rocker on Saturday Night Live! just a month ago. His old cardigans sell for six figures. And more than 15 years since his 1994 suicide, fans are still hoping to unearth new information about his death—which some believe involved foul play.
Those fans got quite a surprise this Friday. The FBI released a 10-page file from its archives regarding Cobain's death. Don't get too revved up though, you conspiracy theorists out there. Because the file mostly includes letters from individuals who merely wrote to the FBI, pleading that the bureau take a second look at the circumstances of Cobain's death. For example, one letter from 2003 reads, “I believe a great injustice might have been committed in the case of Kurt Cobain.” The rest of the file includes what the FBI wrote back to these individuals, reminding them that specific facts had to be pointed out in order for the investigation to actually open up. Regardless of where you stand on Cobain and his death, the file is worth reading through. Here's a bit from the rest of the 2003 letter:
I’m writing you in hopes for your help to press for a reexamination of Mr. Cobain’s death. Millions of fans around the world would like to see the inconsistencies surrounding the death cleared up once and for all. It is sad to think that an injustice of this nature can be allowed in the United States.
The FBI issued a standard-reading response to each letter, which said:
In order for the FBI to initiate an investigation of any complaint we receive, specific facts must be present to indicate that a violation of federal law within our investigative jurisdiction has occurred.
Since Cobain's legacy is always under the microscope—we're only five years removed from the the great documentary on the musician, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck—you have to imagine what else the FBI might be sitting on from the past few years. Maybe we'll see more files someday, if only more letters from fans who miss the grunge hall-of-famer.
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