A newly uncovered police memorandum has revealed a previously unknown attempt by Courtney Love to have key evidence from the death of her husband, Kurt Cobain, permanently erased from the record. The document, dated February 13, 1995, shows that the Hole frontwoman sought the destruction of crime scene photographs less than a year after the Nirvana frontman was found dead in his Seattle home.
The revelation adds a fresh layer of complexity to a case that has remained a flashpoint for conspiracy theorists and forensic researchers for three decades. While the Seattle Police Department (SPD) officially ruled the death a suicide shortly after the body was discovered in April 1994, the newly unearthed letter suggests an early and “unprecedented” effort to limit the evidentiary record.
The memorandum was brought to light by investigators from the campaign group “Who Killed Kurt?”, which continues to lobby for the case to be reopened. The document outlines a request made by Love’s attorney, Seth Lichtenstein, who contacted the lead homicide detective to ask if the photographs could be destroyed to prevent any “mistaken release.”
The refusal of a lead detective
The request was handled by Sergeant Don Cameron, the lead homicide detective on the case. In his memo to homicide unit commander Lieutenant Al Gerdes, Cameron noted that the request stemmed from the actions of Tom Grant, a private investigator Love had previously hired to find Cobain when he went missing shortly before his death.
Grant had begun making public allegations that Love was responsible for Cobain’s death and that the police had participated in a cover-up. According to the memorandum, these accusations had “rekindled the concerns of Courtney Love over the preservation/security of the crime scene photos.”
Cameron, who has since passed away, denied the request. He wrote to his superior that destroying the only photographs of the crime scene would make the department appear “foolish and unprofessional.” He assured the department that the 35mm film remained undeveloped and that the Polaroids were secured under lock and key, accessible to only three authorized individuals.
Questions over evidence protocol
The request to destroy photos is not the only procedural anomaly that has surfaced in recent months. Documents indicate that Detective Steve Kirkland handed the original copies of Cobain’s alleged suicide note, along with another handwritten note found at the scene, directly to Courtney Love in June 1994—just two months after the death.
This move has been heavily criticized by retired Seattle police captain Neil Low, a 50-year veteran of the force. Low, who conducted an audit of the case in 2005, initially supported the suicide verdict but has since shifted his view toward homicide. He described the request to destroy evidence as “weird” and “unprecedented,” while noting that the department’s evidence vault at the time lacked sufficient security.
The tension between the official narrative and these procedural lapses is summarized in the following timeline of key evidence events:
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| April 1994 | Death of Kurt Cobain | Ruled a suicide by SPD shortly after discovery. |
| June 1994 | Handover of notes | Original suicide notes given to Courtney Love by Det. Kirkland. |
| Feb 1995 | Photo destruction request | Love’s attorney asks Sgt. Cameron to destroy crime scene photos. |
| 2014 | Public release of photos | SPD releases 37 images after a cold case review. |
The battle for the evidentiary record
For those seeking a reinvestigation, the preservation of these photos is paramount. In 2014, the SPD released a cache of 37 images, including Polaroids and undeveloped 35mm film, which showed the greenhouse and parts of Cobain’s body. These images allowed for independent forensic analysis that would have been impossible had Sgt. Cameron acceded to the 1995 request.
Michelle Wilkins, a lead investigator for “Who Killed Kurt?”, emphasized that these photographs are the only reason a modern investigation remains possible. Wilkins argued that a single phone call to authorize the destruction of the photos would have permanently ended any hope of accountability or independent review.
Conversely, supporters of the official verdict point to Cobain’s well-documented struggles with depression and substance abuse. During Nirvana’s 1991 European tour, Cobain had spoken openly about stomach pain contributing to suicidal ideation. In the month preceding his death, he suffered an overdose in Rome—an event Love later described as a suicide attempt.
Further evidence of his state of mind was noted on March 18, 1994, when police were called to the home after Love reported Cobain had locked himself in a room with a firearm. Although Cobain denied being suicidal at that moment—leading officers to confiscate his weapons and medication—he left a planned rehab stint only two days before his death.
Despite the emerging documents, Love and Cobain’s close relatives have consistently maintained that the death was a suicide. Representatives for Love have been contacted for comment on the newly unearthed memorandum.
The case remains technically closed, but the ongoing discovery of internal police communications continues to fuel calls for a formal review by the U.S. Department of Justice or a similar oversight body. The next step for the “Who Killed Kurt?” campaign involves presenting these findings to current SPD leadership to determine if the procedural lapses warrant a formal reopening of the file.
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