Brittany Peters
Instructor Wenrich
Eng. 121
7 June 2015
Research Narrative

“Okay, so I get to wake up today and have another day he doesn’t.”-
Dave Grohl, band member of Nirvana

What would music have been like in the 1990s without Kurt Cobain? Or maybe the question to ask is, “What would music be like today if Kurt Cobain was alive?” The grunge movement was brought to life by the front man of the band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain (Kurt and Courtney).He was what most believed to be an iconic man in the 1990s for the music genre known as alternative rock/grunge. Kurt Cobain passed away on April 5th, 1994, in his home, when he was only 27 years old (“April 05”). He recently started a family with his wife Courtney Love, who was also a musician in a band called Hole (Kurt and Courtney). Kurt was in and out of rehabilitation centers for his drug addiction, and soon before his death had, what people considered at the time, an accidental overdose in Rome. The day his corpse was found an electrician reports his findings. The police and fire department arrive. Pictures are taken of the scene, and then handed to detectives to enhance the report of the incident that took place on the street of Lake Washington Boulevard. As news spreads of the musician’s tragedy fans gather at his house and a memorial service is performed in his honor (Kurt and Courtney).
I now tell you the story of how and when Kurt Donald Cobain’s body was found.
An electrician, Gary Smith, from the company Veca Electric arrives at the lavish home of Kurt Cobain, as previously scheduled on April 8th, 1994 (McNerthney). It’s an early Saturday morning in Seattle, Washington (McNerthney) when the married, middle aged electrician drives up the long, black top coated, pathway that leads to the properties garage (Electrician).With the rather large home to his right and beautiful green shrubbery to his left, he parks the white company van at an angle to the left side of the garage (Conti). He is wearing a blue company jacket; his aging hair has receded. He has grown a rather full mustache, and has rather large wire rimmed glasses covering his blue eyes (Electrician). He begins to prepare himself to setup security lighting (Kurt and Courtney). Gary heads southwest to the detached garage that sits on the large estate. He treads up the wooden stairs that lead up to a deck that faced west. This deck is attached to a room, known as the green house, above the garage. He reaches the top of the stairs, and glances in the windows that are attached to white French doors. At first, he believes he has just seen a mannequin lying lifeless on the floor. With curiosity, he begins to take a closer look through the window panes. Unexpectedly, Gary Smith notices blood on the ear and a weapon lying across the chest of the ‘mannequin’, that later was discovered to be Kurt Donald Cobain (Kurt and Courtney). With this discovery, he dials 9-1-1 (Grant). The Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department are dispatched. Both response teams arrive promptly to the scene (Grant).
Sargent Gretchman, Lieutenant Zimnisky, and Officer Levandowski from the Seattle Police Department arrive at 171 Lake Washington Boulevard, approximately at 8:56 a.m. on April 8th, 1994, to find Kurt Donald Cobain’s lifeless body (Grant). Officer Levandowski notices, through the same window as Gary Smith, an unresponsive male body on the floor behind locked doors. He proceeds to take pictures of the outside of the property for the Seattle Police Department, as they wait for the Seattle Fire Department to break a window pane from the French door entrance, in order to investigate further (Grant). As the glass from the pane breaks, the shattered remains lie in front of the door (“Investigation”). With the force that it took to break the window, fragments of the clear glass land on the motionless victim’s face (“Investigation”).
The three men, suited in their Seattle Police Department uniforms, enter through the French doors, in order to secure the scene and make note of the certain death of Kurt Cobain (“Investigation”). The temperature in Seattle stays around fifty degrees Fahrenheit, with rain steadily hitting the roof of the green house (“Investigation”). Officer Levandowski proceeds to take Polaroid pictures of the crime scene that could be observed immediately, while also taking more photos with a camera that took 35mm film (Fisher).
With the condition of the weather, Levandowski takes note that all men that entered the greenhouse left wet footprints at the scene (“Investigation”). He notices before entering there were not any foot prints in the room. He approaches the body with suspicion (“Investigation”). Kurt Cobain is lying on his back in the middle of the room, with a 20 gauge Remington M11 shotgun lying on his chest as his left hand had a death grip on the gun (Fraser). This was also known as a Cadaveric Spasm. This gun was later known to be bought for Kurt by his best friend Dylan Carlson on March 30th, 1994, only approximately a week before Kurt passed away (Fraser). It appears Kurt sustained a gunshot wound to the head (McNerthney). As the victim lies there, police officers take note that Kurt is still wearing the medical bracelet from the Los Angeles drug rehabilitation center, which he was released from in the evening on April 1st, 1994 (Grant). Kurt Cobain is wearing blue jeans, black low top converse sneakers with white shoelaces, and a watch that has a human face on it, on his left arm (Seattle). There seems to be an abrasion on his left thumb from when the trigger was pulled from the Remington shotgun. As the Officers scan the body they reveal a black wallet that has a chain. In the wallet contains a Washington identification card of Kurt Donald Cobain (Seattle). A brown paper bag containing bullets for the shot gun, which had three missing from the box (Grant). This lays by Kurt’s left foot (Seattle). On the right side of the body there is a Tom Moore’s cigar box (Conti). The officer’s concluded this to be the musician’s “heroin kit” (Fisher). In the kit contained two orange capped syringes with the needle, a lighter, a metal spoon, what appeared to be black tar, cotton tips, and other paraphernalia (Conti). Besides the box lying on the tile floor, a black winter hat, black sun glasses, money, a pack of American Spirit cigarettes, and cigarette butts lay scattered around the body (Seattle). Levandowski continues making a flash with every click of the cameras (“Investigation”).
As the officers take a step back from the body and allow their eyes to scan the perimeter of the elevated room (Seattle). There is a broken round wooden stool sitting near the French doors. Not too far from the stool is a ledge that sits about waist level for an average man. One area of the ledge has potting soil dumped onto it, forming a small mound. On this small mound of dirt sat small pots that have been sat on their sides, a white plastic bag, and a piece of paper with a red pen stabbed through the upper portion of the paper, as if pinned into the soil (Seattle).
This piece of paper was major evidence on the scene that made it conclusive for the Seattle Police Department to write suicide on the incident report on April 8th, 1994 (“Investigation”). What was declared a suicide note by the Seattle Police was written with red ink on the back of an IHop, a popular breakfast dining spot, place mat (Conti). In this Kurt Cobain has a salutation addressing “Boddah.” This was the name of Kurt Cobain’s imaginary friend (Kurt Cobain). In the note he addresses his fans and explains how performing feels like a job and he isn’t happy. He states how he has been numb and unpassionate. He addresses Courtney and Frances, his wife and daughter. The last four lines stated in the note were: “Frances and Courtney, I’ll be at your alter. Please keep going Courtney , for Frances. For her life, which will be so much happier without me. I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!” These last four lines appear to be different than the body and more emotionally driven (Kurt Cobain).
The note was sent to Marcel Matley who studies writing and verifies the authenticity of who wrote what (Fraser). After analysis of the note she has determined the body of the note was written by Kurt Cobain himself, and the salutation, along with the last four lines was added by another author. She found 12 errors that contradicted the body of the paragraph with in the salutation and last four lines of the note. These discrepancies are why Marcel concluded the note had multipole authors. This information was not significant enough for Seattle Police to change the incident from suicide to homicide (Fraser).
The officers remain above the detached garage, in the green house, waiting for the detectives and medical examiner (Seattle).
Detectives Yoshida and Kirkland arrive shortly after police (“Investigation”). As they walk east towards the garage they observe a Volvo vehicle with 4 flat tires parked in the garage, below the green house. Officer Levandowski has written the first incident report. The detectives approach Levandowski; he proceeds to hands over the Polaroid photos and two rolls of 35mm film. Levandowski begins to inform the detectives of Gary Smith, the witness, and how Kurt’s body was found (“Investigation”). One detective is leaning against the ledge of a counter, with his arms crossed, and hair slicked back (Seattle). Another detective, who is balding and has white hair on the side, appears to be making a phone call with a 1990’s cell phone, which looks like a small white brick with an antenna. He is appropriately dressed in grey pants, a blue suit jacket, and a tie (Seattle).
As the men remain in the green house, the news of the tragic death gets released to the media before the authorities are able to wrap up the scene (Fisher). The radio station KXRX deejay Marty Riemer was the first to air the news about the death, thanks to someone from Veca Electric giving the station the news (Fisher). Fans, photographers, and news media arrive at the home, some in tears and others in anticipation of being one of the first to present the tragedy to the public (Kurt and Courtney). As the news spreads and the people gather, officers start to hang yellow paper with a white backing over the doors and all around the room (Seattle). The room was covered with glass windows on each side. The authorities hang this thick paper to conceal anything in the investigation from the prying eyes that stand in the nearby street (Seattle).
The medical examiner arrives to the scene (Kurt and Courtney). Kurt’s body is taken through the French doors and down the wooden stairs. His body appears to be wrapped in several white sheets and is taken to the King County’s Medical Office where his autopsy would be performed (Kurt and Courtney). In the results of the autopsy, Kurt had a blood morphine (heroin) concentration of 1.52 milligrams per liter (Fraser). This was the highest concentration King County has ever seen. With all the results that were taken from the autopsy, Dr. Nikolas Hartshorne determined Kurt Donald Cobain’s death to be a suicide (Fraser).
As the news of the tragic event of Kurt Cobain’s suicide spreads across the nation, many family, friends, lovers, and fans begin to mourn, most in disbelief (Kurt and Courtney). A public memorial service in Kurt Donald Cobain’s honor was performed on April 10th, 1994 at a park in Seattle, Washington. Over 7,000 fans came to mourn the death of the beloved musician. Courtney Love pre-recorded herself reading the suicide note. She arrives late to the service and hands out Kurt’s worn clothes to the fans that remain in tears over the loss (Kurt and Courtney).
The remains of the musician remained with the family until his daughter Frances was able to sprinkle his ashes into McLane Creek in Olympia, Washington on May 31st, 1999 (Kurt and Courtney). This was a place Kurt described as one of his true muses growing up (Kurt and Courtney).
April 8th, 1994 has been of great impact to the music society and has brought a lot of controversy of the verdict of death being suicide or homicide (Kurt and Courtney). To this day the electrician, police department, fire department, detectives, medical examiner, friends, family, and fans get questioned (Grant). It has been brought up many times throughout the years to reopen the case (Grant). If you’d like to further your knowledge on the conspiracies, Tom Grant, the private investigator Courtney Love hired, has an extensive case study reviewing months prior and years after Kurt Cobain’s death (Grant). Now I’ll leave you with a quote from Neil Young that was included in the ‘suicide’ note, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away” (Kurt Cobain).

Works Cited
“April 05, 1994: Kurt Cobain Commits Suicide.” History. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 30 June 2015.
Conti, Allie. “Why Did Seattle’s Former Police Chief Say Kurt Cobain’s Suicide Case Should be Reopened?.” Vice. Vice Media. 6 July 2015. Web. 8 July 2015.
Electrician Gary Smith Recalls Finding Kurt Cobain’s Body. Perf. Gary Smith. Viacom International Inc., 2014. Video Clip.
Fisher, Greg. “Dozens of New Photos Released from Kurt Cobain Death Probe.” cbsnews. CBS Interactive Inc. 27 March 2014. Web. 30 June 2015.
Fraser, Kurt. “Evidence on the Cause of Death of Kurt Cobain.” Cobain Evidence. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2015.
Grant, Tom. “The Kurt Cobain Murder Investigation Case Study Manual.” The Kurt Cobain Murder Investigation by Tom Grant. N.p., 30 April 2015. Web. 30 June 2015.
“Investigation > Case Documents.” Justice For Kurt. N.p., 28 March 2002. Web. 8 July 2015.
Kurt and Courtney. Dir. Nick Broomfield. Perf. Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and Nick Broomfield. Capitol films, 27 February 1998. Film.
Kurt Cobain Suicide Note. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2015.
McNerthney, Casey. “Kurt Cobain Suicide Scene: Previously Unpublished Photos.” Seattlepi. Hearst Seattle Media, 5 April 2013. Web. 30 June 2015.
Seattle Police Department. “Updated: New Kurt Cobain Death Scene Photos.” cbsnews. CBS Interactive Inc. 2015. Web. 30 June 2015.

5 There is a title, and word count is met. (5) The narrative is titled, has a tightly focused topic and meets format and word count requirements
10 Introduction does a nice job setting up the narrative. (10) Introduction grabs reader’s attention, identifies topic, defines scope and prepares reader to enter narrative.
5 Thesis does the right work, although a bit long (5) Thesis statement clearly forecasts organization
8 The chronology is a little confusing at times. Part of that is the switch from past to prents in places, part of that is the tangents where you follow a thread to its conclusion, and then return to the main idea. Transition phrasing could better guide readers and keep them oriented. (10) Topics are organized chronologically with effective topic sentences that keep readers oriented in time and place
15 Great information and in-depth storytelling. This was a really well told narrative. The description and detail are fantastic! (15) Paper sections demonstrate thorough, accurate research and includes details necessary to progress narrative
10 Good sources, minimal quoting and paraphrasing/summarizing is done well, (10) The work quotes, paraphrases, summarizes accurately from dependable sources
15 Well placed and accurately formatted. (15) The paper includes properly placed and formatted MLA in-text citations
10 Conclusion does the right work, although switching to first and second person is a little jarring. (10) The paper concludes by reviewing the main ideas and applying an appropriate conclusion strategy
4 Few minor errors (5) Document has been carefully proofread and is free of MUGS errors
12 Few minor, but consistent errors (15) The work includes a work cited page in accurate MLA format

94/100