COBAIN INVESTIGATION UPDATE #1
May 10, 1995
PLEASE NOTE: If you do not have a copy of the "Summary Of
Events," you'll want to get one. It lays the foundation for this
investigation and it will help you follow the case as you receive
future updates. Check the last page of this update for details on
how to obtain a copy at no charge by E-Mail.
Also: The E-mail format may be difficult to read and is not
ideal for copying. If you would like a type-set and printed copy
of the "Summary" and this "Update" to copy and distribute, just
pay the postage and it's yours. See last page for details.
WONDER WHY YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HEARING MUCH
ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION?
Referring to the disclosure of my "Summary Of Events"
Courtney's attorneys have taken out a full page ads in major
media broadcasting magazines threatening to sue anyone who
participates, "either directly or indirectly, in the
dissemination or publication of these statements,..."
The same attorneys threatened me with lawsuits, criminal
prosecution, and "SWIFT ACTION" when I first began speaking out
about what I know. I've continued to ignore their threats for the
past SIX MONTHS! Where's the "swift action?"
These briefcase bullies threaten and intimidate, but when
their "victim" stands firm, they slink away with their tail
between their legs.
I said this then and I'll say it again now,... THESE PEOPLE
ARE NOT GOING TO SUE ME OR ANYONE ELSE CONNECTED TO THIS
INVESTIGATION.
I hope I'm wrong! A lawsuit would create publicity for the
investigation, the very thing they're trying to avoid. It would
give me the opportunity to present disclosed and undisclosed
evidence in a court of law. It would expose the truth about this
whole smelly fraud.
A lawsuit would also bring immediate counter suits. I'm not
after their filthy money, but if they really want to flex their
muscles, they better be sure their pants don't fall down.
I'm going to tell the truth about what I know. If these
people want to challenge my right to do that, they know where to
serve the papers.
Page 2 of 8
NOT EVERYONE'S A WIMP!
I owe a debt of gratitude to Gil Gross of the Gil Gross
Radio Show in New York, a C.B.S. Radio Network program. Gil was
the first to break this story, although Courtney's attorneys
tried their best to keep it from happening. Gil flew me to New
York last December and allowed me to get some of this information
to the public for the first time. Speaking out in a public forum
helped reduce my family's concern over my safety.
Thanks Gil. I won't forget!
AND THEN THERE'S ALLAN HANDELMAN
The bravest and most honorable of the media heroes has been
Allan Handelman. Allan has a nationally syndicated radio talk
show. Ignoring threats by Courtney's attorneys, Allan took the
time to study this case. He realized I had some things to say
that needed to be heard. Allan put me on the air on four
different occasions to tell my story and later keep his audience
updated as to the progress of the case.
Response from the Allan Handelman programs has been
overwhelming. I've received letters from listeners all over the
country who tuned in to the Handelman programs. The affilliate
radio stations have received hundreds of calls to their hot lines
requesting more information and expressing appreciation for
covering the story.
I'm receiving requests for tapes of the Handelman programs.
For information about obtaining these tapes, write to:
The Allan Handelman Show
9253 Glenwater Dr. Suite 1204
Charlotte, NC 28262
You can also call the Allan Handelman Hotline number by
dialing 1-800-762-5825
In case you're wondering, I receive no commission, royalty,
or payment of any kind for the Handelman/Grant tapes or for my
appearance on his show.
Never have, never will.
Several media sources are beginning to see through the smoke
now. They're starting to roll up their sleeves. Stories about
this investigation have recently been published not only in the
U.S but also in England, Sweden, Italy, Australia and probably
other countries that I haven't heard about yet.
Everyone knew something was horribly wrong here. Things just
didn't add up. The truth is beginning to get out in spite of all
the efforts to keep it contained. People are starting to listen,
but it's still an uphill battle.
Page 3 of 8
THE SEATTLE POLICE REPORTS
Following are several excerpts, quoted word for word,
directly from the Seattle police reports regarding the death of
Kurt Cobain.
The marking of ===== indicates a word or words blacked out
by the police before they released the reports.
The marking ***** indicates something I've deleted for
reasons of confidentiality such as an address.
The police reports are written without paragraphs. This
makes reading and searching for details more difficult, As a
result, I've indented occasionally to help reduce reading
fatigue.
I've printed in CAPITAL LETTERS letters when I want to
highlight significant words and phrases
that I comment about later.
This is only a sampling of the police reports available.
They are public records and can be checked for accuracy if you
have doubts as to my documentation.
Additional samplings of the police reports will be included
in future updates.
MISSING PERSON REPORT,
Dated 4/4/94
Report #94-149669
NARRATIVE:
"Mr. Cobain ran away from California facility and flew back
to Seattle. He also bought a shotgun and may be suicidal. Mr.
Cobain may be at =====, location for narcotics. Det. Terry
SPD/Narcotics has further info."
COMMENTS BY GRANT:
Courtney Love filed the Missing Person report claiming to be
Kurt's mom, Wendy O'Conner. There was no mention in the report
that Kurt had been last seen at the Lake Washington residence.
The narrative sounds like Cobain left the rehab, then
purchased a shotgun and might kill himself. It set the police up
for what they would later observe. A body, a shotgun, and a note.
(Kurt actually purchased the shotgun for his own protection
before he left for the rehab in L.A.)
Everything seemed to fit. It was obvious what had happened
here,... or was it?
As mentioned in my Summary Of events, the following
information can be verified by a careful reading of these
reports;
1. The police arriving on the scene were already of the mindset
that Kurt had "bought a shotgun and may be suicidal."
Page 4 of 8
COBAIN DEATH INVESTIGATION
(Seattle P.D.)
Dated 4/8/94
Report #94-156500
NARRATIVE:
(By Off. Levandowski, Badge #5326)
"On 4/08/94...0856 Hrs. I was dispatched to *** Lake
Washington Blvd.E. to investigate a dead body. On arrival, I was
contacted by ===== ===== of =====. I saw ====== work truck
parked in the driveway of the house. ===== stated he had
arrived at the house to do some electrical work on contract for
===== the security company for the residence. Smith stated he had
stepped into a west facing deck on the second floor level of the
garage, and had observed a dead male on the floor. ===== said
he was (unable) to see the body through the french doors, but
that the doors were locked.
===== took me to the doors and I observed through the door
a W/M, with long blond hair, laying on the floor, on his back. A
shotgun was laying across the victim's body;
the butt of the gun was between the victim's feet and the muzzle
was at about the mid- chest level of the victim. The victim
appeared to be Kurt Cobain who I knew to be to be the resident of
the house, and who I had contacted in the recent past.
Seattle Fire units arrived and forced entry by breaking a
pane in the french door. On entry, SFD announced the W/M as dead
on arrival and cleared the scene, leaving engine Company 34
behind.
SFD asked for I.D. from the nearby wallet and I opened the
wallet which was within a couple of feet of the victim's body.
Inside I found a Washington State driver's license in the name of
Cobain, Kurt Donald DOB/022067.
I had called for 1G, Sgt. Getchman enroute to the call and
Sgt. Getchman and A/Sgt. Fewel arrived. I used Getchman's
polaroid to photograph the scene while Fewel and Getchman used
35mm cameras to document the scene... I maintained the scene
until Homicide's arrival...
Inside the scene, I had observed a cigar box lying next to
the victim. Inside the box were syringes, a spoon, and other
items of narcotics paraphernalia.
On a nearby table was a paper placemat with a hand written
note in red ink. The pen was stabbed into the note, holding it in
place. The note was apparently written by Cobain to his wife and
daughter explaining why he had killed himself."
NARRATIVE:
(By Detectives Jim Yoshida, #3168 and Steve Kirkland, #3356)
4-8-94 0950: "Lt. Marberg receives a phone call from SPD
Communications. They are requesting a Homicide Team at *** lake
Washington Blvd. E. They are on the scene of a suicide. There is
a note present and the gun is also in place. The victim
is Kurt Cobain,..."
Page 5 of 8
4-8-94 1015:
"Detectives arrive at the scene and are met by Off. Joe
Fewel #4896. Off. Fewel is the acting sergeant for this sector.
Also on the scene are Off. Von Levandowski #5326 (10c04), Sgt.
Jeff Getchman #3322 (1-G), and the 1st Watch East PCT Commander,
Lt. Ziminsky. Off. Levandowski will be responsible for the
initial incident report. Off. Levandowski turns over polaroid
photos taken of the scene and also two rolls of 35mm film.
Off. Levandowski states the witnesses, ===== (electricians
for =====)
came to do some work on the victim's residence this morning and
observed the victim lying on the floor of the greenhouse above
the detached garage of the residence. Off. Levandowski says there
was a dual response on the 911 call. SFD broke the westside
french door to gain access and visually determined that the
victim was obviously dead...
Lavendowski secured the area and waited for response by
Patrol supervisors and homicide. He has some knowledge of the
victim and has been to the residence on a prior occasion. He is
also aware that the victim is AWOL from a drug treatment center
in Los Angeles and that his family had filed a missing person
report with SPD. The families fear was that the victim was
suicidal and he had recently bought a shotgun.
Cobain is found in the 19' by 23' greenhouse above the
detached double garage. There are stairs on the west side leading
to the french door entry and another set of french doors on the
east side which lead to a balcony. These doors are unlocked and
closed but there is a stool with a box of gardening supplies on
it in front of the door.
There is a sink on the west wall and there are stainless
steel planting trays on the north and south walls. One of the
stainless trays contains a pile of dirt with bulbs in it. On
top of this dirt pile is a note written in red ink and stuck into
the dirt pile with a red pen. This is a suicide note directed to
Courtney and ===== and signed Kurt Colbain. (The accidental
mispelling of Colbain has no significance.)
The victim is found on the floor lying on his back with his
head to the west and feet to the east. There is a large drying
puddle of blood to the left of the victim and obvious trauma to
his head.
There is a Remington M-11 20 gauge shotgun between the
victim's legs with the barrel pointed towards his head and his
left hand wrapped around the barrel.The shotgun is inverted with
the trigger and magazine trap door pointing up. The barrel end is
just above his beltline. There is a spent 20 gauge shell casing
on top of a brown corduroy jacket which is on top of a beige
nylon shotgun case. These are just to the left of the victim and
under one of the stainless steel garden trays. There are several
cigarette butts on the floor and a 3/4 full can of Barqs root
beer also on the floor in the area of the victim.
Colbain's wallet was open and his driver's license showing.
Off. Levandowski exposed the driver's license to verify
identification of the victim.
There was also $120.00 in cash on the floor to the right of
the victim and a cigar box. This cigar box contained narcotics
paraphenalia (syringes, burnt spoons, cotton, and small pieces of
what looks like black tar).
Page 6 of 8
There is a brown paperbag containing 22 live 20 gauge
shotgun shells. The box is marked that it contains 25 shells. The
bag containing the shells is on the floor at the victim's left
foot. On the floor to the victim's right in the same area as
the cigar box is a hat, two towels, the $120.00 in cash, the
wallet, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, amd a pair of
sunglasses. Inside the jacket pocket is a receipt for the
purchase of the Remington 20 gauge shotgun serial #1088925. The
purchase price was $308.37 and the receipt is dated 3-30-94. The
purchaser was Dylan R. Carlson ===== Seattle 98115, from Stan
Baker Sports,...
These items, the other items on the floor and the note were
photographed using the 35mm and Polaroid cameras.
1105 hrs: Investigator Dave Delgado, Dr. Nick Hartshorne,
and Dr. Donald Reay of the King County Medical Examiner's Office
arrive at the scene. Dr. Hartshorne will be conducting the
initial examination of the victim. Dr. hartshorne takes his
photographs and then begins the on scene examination of the
victim.
The shotgun is removed from it's location between the
victim's legs and it is rendered safe by Det. Kirkland. There is
one live shell in the chamber and another live shell in the
magazine. These two shells and the spent expended shell account
for the full box of 25.
Dr. Hartshorne states that the damage to the interior of the
mouth indicates the shot was taken in the mouth.
He notes there are puncture marks on the inside of the left
and right elbows.
COMMENTS BY GRANT:
1. The police had polaroid photographs available. They could have
shown me these, photographs to clear up any questions about
Kurt's hair being combed, but Sgt. Cameron told me they "haven't
developed the photographs and probably never would."
2. The french doors on the west side were locked. But it had a
simple push and twist type lock. Anyone can lock the door and
pull it shut as they leave. (I have photographs of this door.)
3. The first officer on the scene found the wallet on the floor
and exposed the driver's license for photographs. Kurt did not
leave his wallet open with his license showing as reported in the
media.
4. There was no stool wedged against the door. Kurt was not
barricaded in the room as the media has reported.
The only stool in the room was sitting in front of the other
unlocked french doors which led out to the balcony. This was not
an entrance. There are no stairs to the balcony. This little
wooden stool did not and could not block anything.
Page 7 of 8
5. The police referred to the note at the scene as a "suicide"
note and say it was written to Courtney and Frances "explaining
why he had killed himself."
This note was not written to Courtney and Frances. It was
written to Kurt's fans with a small footnote to Coutney and
Frances. As you'll see in the next update, Kurt said nothing
about killing himself!
6. The shotgun was inverted. Would a killer think to do that? How
would a killer know how to position the shotgun for Kurt?
They had a photograph taken months earlier showing Kurt holding
a toy rifle in his mouth, inverted! A photographic "diagram" for
the set-up.
7. There were three rounds loaded into the shotgun when Kurt
died. If he bought this shotgun just to kill himself, what was he
going to do with the other two rounds?!
Kurt had that shotgun loaded for protection,not for suicide.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
1. E-Mail this information to anyone and everyone who's
interested.
2. E-Mail the Summary and the updates to your local radio and
television stations.
3. Make copies of the Summary and Updates. Mail them or give them
out to friends or other interested parties.
4. Call local radio talk shows to discuss the case.
5. Participate in discussions about the investigation on A.O.L.,
Prodigy, Compuserve, or whatever online service you have.
6. Tell your friends they can get on our E-mail update list by
sending an E-mail request to my office. (See last page for #)
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Mail, fax, or E-mail your comments to my office. Due to
legal and time constraints, I can't respond to everyone and I
can't answer EVERY question right now, but your input is helpful
and appreciated!
Page 8 of 8
FUTURE UPDATES WILL INCLUDE:
o More police reports, (A little "creative writing?")
o Who was using Kurt's missing credit card?
o The Coroner's Reports
o Where's Rosemary Carroll and why isn't she talking?
o What really happened in Rome?
o The so called "suicide note," word for word
o The "suicidal tendencies" myth
o Additional information on the death of Kristen pfaff...
and more,... MUCH MORE.
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE RELEASED MAY 19TH.
IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE "SUMMARY OF EVENTS,"
E-MAIL YOUR REQUEST TO... TGrantCo at AOL.Com
You may copy and distribute this material as long as it
remains intact, without deletions or additions.
If you're receiving this by E-mail and you'd like a typeset
printed copy of the "Summary" and/or a particlular "Updates" for
copying and distributing, send a 9"X 11 1/2" S.A.S.E. with at
least $2.00 in postage on the s.a.s.e. envelope
to:
THE GRANT COMPANY
291 So. La Cienega Bl. Suite #301
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
"It's almost as if Nirvana has been renamed Hole."
(Circus Magazine, April 30, 1995)
UPDATE #2
MAY 19, 1995
THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT
I have to begin by thanking you all for your letters of
support. When I first began speaking out about this case, I
expected to receive very little support. I just knew I had to do
it. But the letters, phone calls, faxes, and e-mail have
indicated that the majority of Kurt's fans are kind, thoughtful,
and perceptive individuals.
Please continue to write. Your letters of encouragement
really help keep me going.
A great deal of the mail I'm receiving comes from readers
who say, "Finally this whole thing is beginning to make some
sense."
Some of the "experts" are trying to tell us that it's easier
to accept a murder "theory" than the reality of suicide. Based on
my own experience in this work, I have to agree.
But murders DO happen and they're often made to look like a
suicide. So before dismissing this as an attempt to rationalize
the irrational, I suggest the "experts" take the time to study
THIS PARTICULAR CASE carefully, from all angles, before passing
judgement on those who HAVE taken the time and who are finally
beginning to understand what really happened in Seattle in April
of 1994.
Also, thanks for the clippings. I don't always hear about
stories written in newspapers and magazines about this
investigaton. Some of you have sent clippings from your local
newspapers and from magazine articles. This allows me keep
tabs on what's going on. You've been really helpful.
I've heard from a number of people who have had information
to share. Some of this information has been valuable, some of it
just interesting. Of those I've met with who are close to
Courtney, some told me they're scared. One broke down in my
office and cried.
As you continue to study this case, I think you'll
understand where this fear is coming from.
WHAT ABOUT CREDIBILITY?
A few letters have come in from readers asking, "How do we
know you're really who you say you are and this isn't a hoax?"My
response when anyone questions my credibility is as follows;
o I've listed my office address on these updates.
o My office phone # is (310) 652-5670.
o I'm a former L.A. County Sheriff's detective, Employee #
34279, Badge # 1738
o I'm a licensed private investigator, CA Lic.# 16603,
Beverly Hills Business License # A0029313.
Page 2 of 4
I've offered to take a polygraph regarding my statements AND
MY MOTIVES!
I've put my career, my reputation, and possibly my life on
the line for what I believe. If I'm not telling the truth, I must
be a complete fool!!
MORE SEATTLE POLICE REPORTS
(Excerpts and examples of some "creative" writing?)
Note: Markings, indentations, and capital letters are explained
in Update #1.
Remember that stool I've been talking about. There's one
more police report that mentions this stool.
Report #94-156500, Item #8 Statement of Ofcr. Levandowski
#5326 forwarded to Detectives. (This appears to be a ONE PAGE
SUMMARY of the original report written by Levandowski.)
"On 4/08/94 at about 840 hrs., ===== arrived at ***** Lk.
WA. Blvd. E. to perform some electrical work. =====walked onto
the west facing deck of the garage, and observed the victim
through the window panes in the french door. The victim was
laying on the floor, with a shotgun across his body, and a
visible head wound. C/ called 911, and a dual response of SFD and
SPD was dispatched.
On arrival, levandowski observed the victim laying on the
floor, unmoving. The french doors were locked. SFD Engine #34
responded, and made entry by breaking one of the glass panes in
the french door. No life saving measures were attempted by SFD.
The scene was secured, and 1G, Sgt. Getchman and 241, Lt.
Zimnisky responded to the scene. Photographs were taken of the
scene by Levandowski, fewel and Sgt. Getchman. The scene was
maintained until released to Homicide Detectives. All pictures
and film were released to Det. Yoshida.
LEVANDOWSKI OBSERVED THAT THE FRENCH DOORS AT THE OPPOSITE
END OF THE ROOM WERE BLOCKED BY A STOOL, PREVENTING ACCESS."
Notice the LAST LINE of this report?
This statement is clearly out of context. The report appears
to have ended,THEN,... THE LINE ABOUT THE STOOL IS ADDED.
As mentioned in the previous update, THESE DOORS (at the
opposite end of the room), were UNLOCKED and just LED OUT TO THE
BALCONY.
THERE WAS NO ACCESS FROM THESE DOORS.
Furthermore, that little wooden stool COULDN'T BLOCK
ANYTHING!
But of course, if you weren't there and didn't see all this
for yourself, you'd never know the difference. So WHY was this
line added?
Because the detectives had already told me and the media
there was a stool against the door. Kurt was alledgedly
barricaded inside. Someone eventually must have noticed the
police reports didn't reflect the "official myth" and they
apparently tried to correct it.
Page 3 of 4
Who wrote the line?
I suspect it was either added by someone without
Levandowski's knowledge, or someone "suggested" Levandowski add
the line after the report was submitted for approval.
I don't question Levandowski's intentions or motives.
Although mistakes were made and some of his conclusions were
reached a little prematurely, he seemed to be conscientious and
thorough.
But if Levandowski ever admits to personally writing that
ridiculous and deliberately misleading line, I'd have to
re-evaluate my opinion not only of his motives, but of his
intelligence and his eyesight.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CREATIVITY?
Report decription: Homicide Unit MAJOR INVESTIGATION SUMMARY
Report # 94-156500
Scene Detectives: Jim Yoshida & Steve Kirkland
Paragraph 2:
"Cobain suffered a single GSW to the head. The shotgun had
been placed in Cobain's mouth and discharged. THERE WERE MARKS ON
COBAIN'S HANDS CONSISTANT WITH THE FIRING OF THIS WEAPON."
This appears to be another example of "creative writing." We
know there were no marks on Cobain's hands that would indicate HE
fired this weapon. I've had these reports analyzed by other
homicide detectives and criminalists. No one can figure out
what these "marks" could have been.
This model shotgun is somewhat rare, but several months ago
we located an identical shotgun in Northern California. We test
fired this shotgun. I PERSONALLY FIRED THE WEAPON 18 TIMES
without cleaning my hands. There were no visible marks or
scratches on either of my hands that resulted from the firing of
this weapon.
Could the marks have been gunshot residue or soot? No. I'll
tell you more about this in a later update.
Of course the average reporter or other reader of these
reports wouldn't pick up on these misleading details without
doing a little research, so a little creativity went a long
way in convincing the media this was a suicide.
REMEMBER THE MISSING CREDIT CARD?
Follow-up report. Incident #94-156500, Unit file #94-117
By Detectives Steve Kirkland and Jim Yoshida
4/13/94 0900: To the SPD Evidence Unit.
Narrative:
"Checked Cobain's wallet. There is no SeaFirst card with the
above listed number in the wallet. There are two SeaFirst
Versa-teller cards with different numbers in the wallet."
Page 4 of 4
WHO HAD THE CARD?
What happened to Kurt's other SeaFirst Card? The one he used
in Los Angeles at Delta Airlines just before leaving for Seattle.
The one that Courtney had "cancelled."
The credit card company records show that someone was still
trying to use this "missing" card after the time the Coroner says
Kurt died, but stopped these attempts after the body was
discovered.
The police have never bothered to clear this up? Why?
FACT OR FICTION
Whenever someone says, "There's no PROOF this was a murder,"
be patient and remember this,... There's never been any PROOF
Page 1 of 8
COBAIN INVESTIGATION UPDATE #3
June 15, 1995
COBAIN'S DEATH WAS A RIP-OFF.... A TAKE OVER. THE
COBAIN MONEY MACHINE WAS ABOUT TO GET TURNED OFF.
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THIS MACHINE WAS GOING TO STAY
"UNPLUGGED" IN.
THE SO CALLED "SUICIDE" NOTE
After all the lies and inconsistencies prior to the
discovery of the body, my first question when I read the note
was, "Did Kurt write this?" It took some time to be sure, but I
eventually determined he did.
I believe he wrote the whole thing, with the possible
exception of the line at the end which reads, "which will be so
much happier without me." Upon close examination, the thickness
of the line print in these words, (on the copy I made from
Courtney's fax machine), appears to be thinner than the line
print in the rest of the note. This may indicate a different
writing instrument,less pen pressure, or a different "writer"
altogether.
Several handwriting experts have examined this letter and
their opinions about these last words differ. As far as I'm
concerned, this "added line" theory is not a critical issue.
There's a substantial amount of evidence to prove Kurt was
leaving Courtney. Her constant verbal abuse and criticism had
convinced him he was a bad influence on his daughter.
If he DID write this line, he was simply indicating he
thought Frances would be better off away from what he perceived
to be his "bad influence."
Could it have been a "suicide' note?
I wasn't sure at first. But as I reviewed my notes,
studied the case, and continued gathering information over the
next several months while working with Courtney, I concluded with
complete confidence, this was NOT a "suicide' note. This was a
note to Kurt's fans explaining his decision to quit the music
business, to stop touring and to stop performing.
Read the contents carefully. Here was a guy who cared about
his fans. Here was a guy with compassion. He had a drug habit.
He had some flaws, but he seemed to care about others more than
he cared about himself.
Is this a letter from a self-centered father who had no
concern for his daughter.? Does this sound like someone who
didn't care about the images he'd be leaving his little girl....
images of violence and physical destruction that Frances would be
forced to visualize the rest of her life whenever she thought
about her dad?
Are these observations alone proof that Kurt Cobain did not
commit suicide? No. Just something to think about as you try to
understand what was on Kurt's mind when he wrote this letter.
(Update) Page 2 of 8
To Boddah pronounced
Speaking from the tongue of an experienced simpleton who
obviously would rather be an emasculated, infantile camplainee.
This note should be pretty easy to understand. All the warnings
>From the punk rock 101 courses over the years. Since my first
introduction to the, shall we say, ethics involved with
independence and the embracement of your community has proven to
be very true. I haven't felt the exitement of listening to as
well as creating music along with reading and writing for too
many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things.
For example when we're backstage and the lights go out and the
manic roar of the crowd begins it doesn't affect me the
way in which it did for Freddy Mercury who seemed to love. (?)
relish in the love and adoration from the crowd. Which is
something I totally admire and envy. The fact is I can't fool
you. Any one of you. It simply isn't fair to you or me. The
worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by
faking it and pretending as if I'm having 100 % fun. Sometimes I
feel as if I should have a punch in time clock before I walk out
on stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate
it, (and I do. God, believe me I do, but it's not enough. I
appreciate the fact that I and we have affected and entertained a
lot of people. I must be one of those narcissists who only
appreciate things when they're gone. I'm too sensitive. I need
to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasm I once had
as a child. On our last three tours I've had a much better
appreciation for all the people I've known personally and as fans
of our music, but I still can't get over the frustration, the
guilt and empathy I have for everyone. There's good in all of us
and I think I simply love people too much. So much that it makes
me feel too fucking sad. The sad little, sensitive,
unappreciative, pisces, Jesus man! Why don't you just
enjoy it? I don't know. I have a goddess of a wife who sweats
ambition and empathy and a daughter who reminds me too much of
what I used to be. Full of love and joy kissing every person she
meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm. And that
terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function. I can't
stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable self-
destructive, death rocker that I've become. I have it good, very
good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven I've become
hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so
easy for people to get along, and have empathy. Empathy! Only
because I love and feel for people too much I
guess. Thank you all from the pit of my burning nauseous
stomach for your letters and concern during the past years. I'm
too much of an erratic, moody baby! I don't have the passion
anymore and so remember, its better to burn out than to fade
away.peace, love, empathy. Kurt Cobain
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!
Page 3 0f 8
What was he saying?
Some writers have said the letter doesn't make much sense.
This is because they're reading it in the context of a "suicide"
note. Once you realize it's simply a retirement letter, it all
comes together. It makes perfect sense.
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT that Kurt is alive and well. His band
broke up and he moved away from Seattle. All performances have
been cancelled. Now read the letter again. IMAGINE Kurt wrote it
to explain his decision to his fans.
Why does it all make so much sense now? Because that's
precisely why his note was written!!
Who is Boddah?
In an article written a couple of years ago, Wendy O'conner,
Kurt's mother indicates Kurt had an imaginary childhood friend
named "Bodah." After Kurt's death, a reprint of this article
appeared in the new Rolling Stone book about Cobain. The
spelling of this name in the reprint was changed to Boddah,
matching the spelling of the name on the "note."
According to our preliminary research, the addition of the
word "pronounced" after the name Boddah on the "note" seems to
indicate this was a spiritual reference to Kurt's beliefs in
Buddhism. Although it may appear to some who have no
understanding of Buddhism that this was like addressing a
letter to God, the terms used here would more accurately be
interpreted, "to all who are enlightened."
This theory certainly makes more sense than the idea that he
would address a note to an imaginary childhood friend, then
proceed to talk to his fans, those who understood him and his
ideals,... those who are "enlightened."
The important thing here is the body of the note. The body
of the note clearly indicates who this note was written to. This
note does not belong to Courtney Love. It was written to Kurt's
fans. It BELONGS to Kurt's fans.
What did he mean by "the... ethics involved with
independence and the embracement of your community has proven to
be very true."?
I believe Kurt was saying he'd been warned about greed,
corruption and exploitation in the music industry. He was saying
these "warnings" had proven to be true. This realization robbed
him of the exitement he once experienced while playing and
performing in earlier years.
When MTV broadcast the reading of portions of this note by
Courtney, the caption displayed on the screen for another line in
the letter read, "I HAD it good."
The actual note reads "I HAVE it good.' A subtle but
distinct difference in revealing the mental state of the writer.
What about the line at the end of the body of the note?...
"I don't have the passion anymore and so remember, it's better to
bum out than to fade away."
This has always been a commonly used phrase to describe
motivation for retirement. In the entertainment field, it
usually refers to quitting while you're on top instead of fading
>From popularity.
Page 4 of 8
Others also use this phrase to describe their personal
decision to retire. I quit the Sheriffs department because I was
"burnt out." I was bored. There were no more challenges. I'd
done everything I wanted to do on the department including
undercover assignments, dune buggy, mountain bike and helicopter
patrol. I was a detective at Malibu Sheriff's Station when I
made my decision. As far as I was concerned, I had the best job
in the county. I had a good reputation, no enemies, no beefs. I
was simply "burnt out."
Looking back over the years, I've often regretted that
decision. Whether or not you agree, I feel I'm a better
detective than I am a businessman. I eventually came back to
what I do best. In time, Kurt may have come back too. Of
course.... now we'll never know.
"Please keep going Courtney. For Frances, For her life..."
While I was with Courtney at the Peninsula hotel, several
days before Kurt's body was found, she said almost exactly the
same thing to me.
"If he doesn't want to do it, (referring to the Lollapalooza
tour), he ought to do it for his baby, for Frances."
Kurt, no doubt, had heard this from Courtney before. He
didn't want this lifestyle any more. He didn't care about the
money, but he knew money and fame were important to Courtney. So
he was telling her, "YOU do it. YOU do it for Frances and for
her future."
Although Kurt wanted out of the marriage, he still loved
Courtney. He was leaving, but he'd continue to publically
support her. He naively believed that would be enough to satisfy
her. It would give her the freedom to do what she wanted to
do,... and it would give him freedom from the BUSINESS of
creating his music,... something he once enjoyed with the
innocence of a true artist.
ROLLING STONE
December, 1994 Issue
In an interview with David Fricke, Courtney responds to a
probing question about the so called "suicide' note left at the
scene of his death.
D. F. - "Did Kurt's suicide note make any sense to you - that
he'd found any kind of peace in what he was going to do?'
C.L. - "He wrote me a letter other than his suicide note. It's
kind of long. I put it in a safe-deposit box. I might show it to
Frances - maybe. It's very f_ked-up writing. 'You know I love
you, I love Frances, I'm so sorry. Please don't follow me.' It's
long because he repeats himself. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm
sorry. I'll be there. I'll protect you. I don't know where
I'm going, I just can't be here anymore.'"
How do I know Kurt was not talking about suicide in THIS
letter?
Because of the obvious terminology and,... Courtney admits
this "other" note was "not really like a suicide note,"
On Sunday, April 3rd, when she couldn't find him, Courtney
told me she thought Kurt was leaving her. This "other' letter
simply confirms what Courtney already knew, but what she never
wanted anyone else to know.
Page 5 of 8
A CONVERSATION WITH COURTNEY
As mentioned in the Summary of events, Dylan Carlson and I
checked the Lake Washington residence to see if Kurt had been
there. The house appeared to have been recently cleaned and
straightened up. Dylan said he'd never seen the house this clean
before. It was usually pretty messy.
We were supposed to look around even if Kurt wasn't there, to
see if it looked like he'd been to the house. Dylan said if Kurt
had been there, he'd be able to tell.
After reading in Rolling Stone that Courtney claimed to have
another note left to her by Kurt, I was curious where this note
was found. Even more important, I WONDERED WHY SHE HADN'T TOLD
ME OR THE PRESS ABOUT IT!
On January 19, 1995, Courtney and I talked for over an hour.
Following is a transcript of the discussion we had about this
"other' note.
TG - What about the other note? You mentioned in Rolling Stone
about another note that he wrote to you.
CL - It's like a letter and it's not really like a suicide note.
It's like, it seems more like, it was like in a sealed envelope,
and it was just like to me, and it seems like he wrote it in
rehab.
TG - Where'd you find it?
CL - It was in my bedroom, under my pillows.
TG - Under your pillows?
CL - Yeah, and I didn't tell anybody about it but Rosemary and
uh, I told
Sgt. Cameron about it.
TG - Yeah,
CL - I let him see it, um,
TG - There's only one problem with that Courtney.
CL - What ?
TG - I looked under your pillows,
CL - Well,
TG - Just like we looked under your mattresses.
Page 6 of 8
CL - It was there.
TG - That's how I found the Rohypnal, between your mattresses.
That note wasn't under your pillows on the bed.
CL - Tom, it was, and I showed it to Sgt. Cameron, and he can
prove it. I own it. I'll show it to you, whatever you, if you
want to see it.
TG - Yeah, I'd like to see it. I'd like to see it. But what I'm
telling you is, it was not there the night before the body was
found, or the night before that. Because we, you know, you can
ask Dylan about this, we picked the pillows up. We were looking
for drugs. We looked under the mattresses.
That's where the Rohypnal was. There was no note in an
envelope.
CL - It was like right, right, it was ah, it was in ah, it was in
a long legal envelope, white envelope, that was sealed. It had
my name on it and it was definitely in Kurt's writing, and it was
right under my pillows.
TG - Yeah, Ok.
CL - Like I have a bunch of pillows on that bed, it was right
there.
TG - All I can say to that Courtney is, if you say so!
Did Courtney really tell Rosemary Carroll about this "other"
note?
Not likely. At least not for several months. Rosemary was
initially furnishing me with evidence that implicated Courtney in
Kurt's death. She would have told me about this other note if
she knew about it.
Did Courtney show it to Sgt. Cameron?
I don't know. But if she did, it should have been booked
into evidence and it should have been listed in the police
reports. The fact that it wasn't, indicates either Courtney is
lying or the police have covered up the information about this
"other" note.
TWO NOTES. One to his fans explaining his decision to quit
performing. The other to his wife explaining his decision to
leave her. Neither of the notes were suicidal!
One of these notes was deliberatley concealed from me and
>From the public while Courtney pretended o encourage me to
investigate Kurt's death!
When and where did Kurt actually write these two letters?
I'll have more to say about that in a future update.
What about the so called "suicide note" from Rome?
I mentioned this note briefly in the Summary Of Events.
I'll have more to say about that note and the events in Rome also
in a future update.
Page 7 of 8
A FEW QUESTIONS FOR THE SEATTLE DETECTIVES:
Who was trying to use Kurt's credit card after he died?
Was Michael Dewitt ever interviewed in person? If so.... When?
Did Courtney tell the police about the "other' note left by
Kurt? If so,... When?
Why wasn't it booked into evidence?
Why wasn't it mentioned in the police reports?
Why were there be no legible prints on the shotgun?
What PROOF do the police have that this shotgun blast was
SELF-INFLICTED?
ABOUT THE SKEPTICS
I've received letters from a few supporters telling me some
of their friends think they're crazy for thinking Kurt did not
commit suicide.
This case has been difficult to present because of the
extensive details that need to be compiled, analyzed, and
studied. Many who are skeptical don't have time to read the
material carefully. As a result, they tend to dismiss the
investigation without knowing all the facts.
As I mentioned before, this is going to take some time. The
media has been saturated with stories of Cobain's so called
"suicide." Intelligent people have good
reason to be skeptical.
But intelligent people will also want to have an open mind
if they care more about truth than the prefabricated media
manipulated fantasies that have been rammed down our throats by a
small army of publicity and promotional experts.
If you're interested in the case, but you're getting
confused with the vast amount of information, you may need to
re-read the material. The picture will form gradually as you
review the details and as additional information is provided in
future updates.
The answers to many of the questions asked in letters I
receive have been addressed in the material already released.
Most of the remaining questions will be dealt with in future
updates. I'm going to review and outline important details
later, but for now I want to move forward and talk about some of
the additional evidence I haven't yet disclosed.
Most of the mail I receive however, indicates opinions ARE
changing. Here's a small sampling of the type of mail I receive
every day.
Page 8 of 8
From Houston Texas:
"I have to admit that when a friend offered to send me the
summaries of this Investigation of Cobain's death, I began
reading to see what kind of paranoid conspiracy some glory
seeking P.I. had concocted. I was quite surprised to find more
than enough evidence to convince me that there is a whole lot
more going on. Thank you for showing interest in this case..."
From a Prodigy Subscriber:
"That is some pretty convincing evidence you have there. My
opinions of the whole issue changed after reading your
summaries."
From an America Online subscriber in Seattle Washington:
"I am constantly talking to people about it... even people
that never really cared are now beginning to care, a few at a
time."
From Quebec, Canada:
"I appreciate very much the great work you are doing on the
Cobain case. Since the beginning I was suspecting that something
was going wrong with all this story. I'm also sure Kristen Pfaff
was murdered... scuse my English. I'm a French speaker."
From Australia:
"I just wanted to thank you for the reports on your
investigation. I sent a copy to... a nationwide radio station in
Australia..."
From The United Kingdom:
"Thanks for letting so many people see your writing. I have
shown it to my friends and they too are changing their ideas
about whether or not it was suicide. Keep up the good work!"
These letters are like fuel for me. They really help keep
me going in the face of overwhelming opposition and intimidation.
To all who have taken the time to write,... thank you.
Tom
If you'd like to write, please send all correspondence to:
The Grant Company
291 S. La Cienega BL. Suite #301
Beverly Hills, CA. 90211
The E-Mall Address for the Grant Company is:
TGrantCo @aol.com
COBAIN INVESTIGATION - UPDATE #4
July 17, 1995
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
It's not practical or even possible for me to try and answer
ALL of your individual questions through e-mail. As one recent
reader said, "Every answer brings more questions." But I'm
finding many of the most often asked questions have already been
answered in the Summary and updates.
For example,... some have asked, "Are you saying Courtney
pulled the trigger?"
No. I've never said that. A careful reading of the Summary and
Updates clearly indicates Courtney and I were both in Beverly
Hills when Kurt died. However, legally and morally, there's
little difference between the person who plans a murder and the
person who carries out the plan.
I realize there's a lot of information to absorb, but if you
really want answers to questions, you may find them by carefully
reviewing the material.
Keep in mind, I've given more information and more answers
than anyone else directly involved in this case. You may not
agree with everything I say, but if you have any concern
whatsoever for the truth, you'd have to agree.... IT'S TIME WE
GOT SOME ANSWERS FROM THE POLICE, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER, COURTNEY
LOVE, ROSEMARY CARROLL, AND OTHERS FORCED INTO SILENCE BY
COURTNEY'S LEGAL MANUEVERING.
Now that I've said that, I'm going to do my best to answer
even more of your questions in this update.
WHAT ABOUT DYLAN CARLSON?
WHAT PART DID HE PLAY IN THIS?
Dylan was Kurt's best friend. He's also a heroin addict, but
he's very intelligent and basically a pretty good guy. I'm now
totally convinced that although he was used in this scheme, he
had no knowledge that Kurt was going to be killed.
Courtney uses Dylan and others around her to serve her
purposes. She's got the money and power to get what she wants.
Once you become part of her inner circle of gophers, you do and
say what she tells you and you DON'T ASK QUESTIONS.
Some in her inner circle are naive to what she's really
capable of. Others are blinded by her fame, fortune and power.
And then there are those who are just plain scared. As Courtney
readily admits, "In my world people are pretty scared of me,...
so they don't f__k with me."
DID DYLAN KNOW KURT WAS LYING DEAD IN
THE GREENHOUSE WHEN YOU WERE THERE?
Wednesday night, (early Thursday morning)... No.
Thursday night, when we returned,... possibly.
I believe Courtney was trying to direct Dylan to discover the
body, but he was really confused about what was going on here. By
late Thursday afternoon, I now have reason to believe Dylan knew
Kurt was dead. Later that night, as mentioned in the Summary Of
Events, Courtney told him, "Be sure and check the greenhouse."
Why didn't he? He may not have WANTED to!
DID DYLAN BELIEVE KURT WAS SUICIDAL?
No. Not at all.
As part of her "suicide" hype in Los Angeles prior to my
leaving, Courtney was saying things like, "Everyone thinks he's
going to die." So of course on Wednesday night when I first
arrived in Seattle, Dylan and I talked a lot about Kurt, his
relationship with Courtney, and Kurt's current frame of mind.
When asked if Kurt was suicidal, Dylan was adamant.
"No. He just wants to get away from all this. He doesn't like
most of the people in the music business."
Dylan knew Kurt before Courtney came into his life. Dylan is
the person Kurt hung out with, the person who probably knew him
better than anyone else. THIS WAS KURT'S BEST FRIEND.
Here's some of what Dylan told me as we sat and talked at a
local cafe, then later drove around Seattle checking out some of
Kurt's hang outs.
Page 2 of 6
"I could never understand why they got married," Dylan said.
"They're always fighting. They're total opposites."
And referring to some of Kurt's friends and fans in Seattle,
Dylan told me, "Kurt's embarrassed by the big house. He's taking
a lot of shit for it. They sort of look at him like a traitor or
something. But Courtney bought this Lexus and Kurt made her take
it back."
Dylan told me he and Kurt purchased the shotgun BEFORE Kurt
left for Los Angeles. He said Kurt wanted the shotgun for
protection when he got back.
THE SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER
In an interview with a reporter from the Seattle Post
Intelligencer for an article published on April 15, 1994,just a
week after Kurt died, Dylan made the following comments
CONFIRMING the conversations I had with him:
"Kurt just wanted to make music, and he didn't want to do the
grind."
"We used to go shooting together," Carlson said. "He said he
wanted the gun for protection..."
"Carlson said Cobain did not seem suicidal."
"Carlson said Nirvana's management and Cobain's wife, Courtney
Love, had pushed the musician to enter drug treatment. He said
Cobain was apprehensive, but did not seem despondent."
"Kurt was facing lots of pretty heavy things, but he was
actually pretty upbeat," Carlson said. "He was prepared to deal
with things facing him."
Kurt was "PRETTY UPBEAT" says his BEST FRIEND?!!
Now carefully read another of Dylan's statements to the
reporter....
"Carlson said he had not known of any suicide attempts and
had not been told that Cobain's drug induced coma in Rome, Italy,
on March 4 might have been intentional, as has been confirmed
recently by Love."
INCREDIBLE!
If the incident in Rome was actually a "suicide attempt," why
wouldn't Courtney tell Kurt's best friend about it?
Wouldn't she want Dylan to keep his eye on Kurt?
Wouldn't she want him to be sure Kurt did NOT purchase any more
guns. (Kurt's other guns had been previously confiscated by the
police). Didn't she CARE?
No. Courtney knew that if she told Dylan the incident in Rome
was a "suicide attempt," he'd know she was lying because he'd
talk to Kurt about it. Remember, NO ONE called the Rome incident
a "suicide attempt" until AFTER Kurt died in Seattle.
It was AFTER Kurt died... that COURTNEY claimed the Rome
incident was a "suicide attempt."
WHY ISN'T ROSEMARY CARROLL SAYING ANYTHING?
For those of you who haven't read the Summary, Rosemary
Carroll was Kurt and Courtney's close friend and entertainment
attorney. To the best of my knowledge, she's still "technically"
Courtney's entertainment attorney. Her law firm probably doesn't
know what to do with her now. What do you do with an attorney who
has a conscience?? (Don't look for a punchline)
Rosemary is also the wife of Danny Goldberg, CEO of Warner
records.
Rosemary is in quite a predicament.
She expressed her belief to me that Courtney might somehow
have been involved in Kurt's death when I first met with her in
Los Angeles, on April 13th, 1994. For the next several months, we
occasionally spoke on the telephone and met at her house in Los
Angeles where she continued to furnish me with information and
evidence implicating Courtney.
Rosemary did NOT believe Kurt was suicidal or that the
incident in Rome was a "suicide attempt." Her initial reaction to
the so called "suicide" note, once she finally got to see it, was
TOTAL DISBELIEF! She was convinced Courtney had something to do
with the wording on the note. She said it was full of terminolgy
used mostly by Courtney, not by Kurt.
Did Courtney HELP Kurt write his "retirement" note? A note
which sometime later was to become a "suicide" note!
Page 3 of 6
FINALLY,... I KNEW
In December of 1994, after nearly eight months of continuous
investigation, I had now obtained enough evidence to be convinced
beyond any doubt that Kurt Cobain did not commit suicide but was
in fact murdered.
When I began to speak out about the conclusions of my
investigation, I received a threatening note from Rosemary's law
firm.
In response, on December 29, 1994, I sent Rosemary Carroll a
registered letter.
Dear Rosemary,
Having received the letter from your firm threatening me with
lawsuit and possible criminal prosecution, I have to wonder what
must be going on in your head! My loyalty to you and the
confidentiality of our conversations ends abruptly when I am
threatened for doing a job I was encouraged by you to do.
From the beginning, you played a major role in directing this
investigation and exposing some facts and details that implicated
Courtney as part of the conspiracy that eventually led to Kurt's
murder. I'm convinced you know in your heart the truth about what
happened. It's time for you to come forward and speak to the
authorities about what you know.
I'm aware there's a lot at stake here for you. Your career,
your marriage, possible financial losses and who knows what else?
You may not realize it yet, but these things are in jeopardy
whether you come forward or not.
You impressed me as the type of person who has their
priorities in order. What good are we as human beings if we're so
afraid that we allow people to get away with murder.
The world of secrecy is a dangerous place to live, especially
when your mind holds information that could help convict a
killer. I've placed my life in danger here in order to bring
about justice and put an end to what may turn out to be more than
just one killing. In addition, kids are continuing to commit
suicide themselves, thinking Kurt did it so it must be the way to
go! The last of these incidents occurred just a couple of weeks
ago.
Although I'm still in some danger, I feel my silence would
have created an even greater threat to my life. Getting rid of
someone AFTER they've talked is just plain stupid and can only
bring more attention to the case. The real danger exists BEFORE
the person talks.
I hope I've given you something to think about. Call me if I
can help. If you choose to oppose me in this, all I can say is
good luck. You'll need it.
Sincerely, Tom Grant
NOT ONE,... BUT TWO !... AND ONE IS A LEGAL EAGLE!!
Whenever someone famous dies, there's always some nut that
comes out of the woodwork and yells, "conspiracy!" These people
are normally a little light in the head and usually come out of
nowhere. They weren't there, they have no first hand knowledge of
anything, and their stories can never be substantiated.
Those who, for whatever reason, would like to believe I'm just
another wacko, seem to be overlooking something very different
about THIS "conspiracy" case. This case developed from the
knowledge and experiences of TWO people VERY CLOSE to the
situation.
Whatever you think of me and MY motives, you should be aware
that Courtney's own attorney ALSO had strong beliefs about
Courtney's involvement in Kurt's death.
Rosemary Carroll had nothing to gain and everything to lose if
she was right about her suspicions. Unfortunately, others close
to Rosemary also have a lot to lose, so Rosemary is being kept
quiet and out of sight.
HOW NOW?
What would Dylan Carlson and Rosemary Carroll say NOW, if they
were allowed to talk about this?
It's hard to say. They're both under the watchful eye of the
mother hen and her handlers. Rosemary and Dylan aren't allowed to
stray too far from the pen.
We'll just have to wait and see what the spin doctors can come
up with for these two.
Page 4 of 6
IF YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH EVIDENCE, WHY HAVEN'T
YOU ARRESTED THESE PEOPLE? WHY HAVEN'T
YOU BROUGHT THIS TO TRIAL?
Most readers of this material already know the answer to this
question. It's normally brought up by skeptics who are trying to
write this whole thing off with simplistic uneducated remarks.
Even though many private investigators like myself are former
police officers, we are now PRIVATE investigators with no police
powers granted by the state. A PRIVATE investigator can only
investigate and furnish information. PRIVATE investigators cannot
file cases, press criminal charges, or make felony arrests in
cases handled by local authorities. If the authorities choose to
close their eyes, the only thing that will pry them open is
public pressure.
WHAT MOTIVE WOULD THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
HAVE FOR COVERING UP A SLOPPY INVESTIGATION?
The short answer,... professional pride, city politics and
potential lawsuits. When is the last time you heard a public
official admit they were wrong, especially in a high profile
incident where there is so much at stake?
Now here's the long answer...
After attending the candlelight vigil in Seattle in memory of
Kurt Cobain, a young man returned to his home and abruptly ended
his own life with a single bullet.
In Southern Turkey a teenage girl was suffering from
depression since hearing about Cobain's death. She put on a
Nirvana song, locked her bedroom door, and shot herself in the
head.
In Australia, a teenager committed suicide as a tribute to
Cobain.
A twenty year old man in Tracy California was with friends
when he put a shotgun in his mouth and said, "Look, I'm just like
Kurt Cobain." Now he is.
There have been several other reports of "copy-cat" suicides
since Cobain's death. These are just some of the reports I've
heard through various media sources.
Still wondering about police motive?
I met with the police just one week after Kurt died. By this
time I'd gathered enough evidence to show that something was
horribly wrong with the events surrounding Kurt's death. It was
too late. The "copy -cat" suicides had already begun. There was
no way an outside investigator was going to overturn the official
"opinion" on the cause of Kurt's death, an "opinion" that had
already resulted in world wide media coverage and had caused the
loss of additional lives.
These young people weren't killing themselves simply because
Kurt Cobain had DIED. They were killing themselves because they
were CONFUSED by his so-called "SUICIDE." If anyone doubts what
I'm saying here, you need to read the letters I get from Kurt's
fans.
Kurt's death would have been a tragic and sad loss to his
fans, but his so called "suicide" caused a short circuit. It
didn't make sense!!
Sometimes the consequences of being wrong can be so drastic
that an overwhelming bias is created. Truth takes a back seat to
expediency.
What will the Seattle Police Department say to Cobain's
friends and fans, and to the devastated families of those other
victims of misinformation?... "Oops?!!"
WHY AREN'T YOU SHARING ALL THE
INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE YOU HAVE?
The Seattle police department deliberately misled me and the
press. In addition, they've covered up important information and
in general, they've demonstrated a lack of good faith when it
came to finding the truth.
I expect this case to eventually be re-opened. But it needs to
be handled by unbiased investigators, probably from another
governmental agency, who aren't just out to save face and cover
their tracks.
These investigators will need something to work with,... some
"tools" for probing, interviewing, and interrogating.
Investigative tools consist primarily of undisclosed
information known only to the investigator conducting the
interview. Knowledge of generally unknown information helps the
investigator discern whether or not the subject being interviewed
is telling the truth.
Page 5 of 6
Every piece of information I release becomes one less tool for
future investigators. It also becomes one more detail for use by
those attempting to cover-up of the truth. Fortunately, I've got
a rather LARGE "tool bin."
As it is, I've furnished a sufficient amount of evidence and
information to prove this case needs to be re-examined by the
authorities. I'll continue to release information, but exposing
EVERYTHING I know and revealing ALL of my evidence to the
general public would reduce the probative value of that information.
So for now I'll have to live with criticism from skeptics and
critics who try to call plays at home plate from a position
completely outside of the ballpark.
A STRATEGY OF SILENCE
In the last couple of months before I spoke out about what I
know, things started getting a little warm for Courtney. She
began an intense campaign of intimidation and coercion to get
everyone who worked for her, past and present, to sign a
"confidentiality" agreement.
Some of these were friends Courtney has known for years! Why
are they SUDDENLY being forced to keep quite?
It's not working. The "silence" is DEAFENING!!
ATTACK THE MESSENGER
As she's done with nearly everyone she considers to be her
enemy, after I began speaking out, Courtney wasted no time in
having ME investigated hoping to find some dirt.
Once she's forced into the open, she'll have no choice but to
light that pile of wet twigs.
This attempt to divert attention from the facts will appear
like a small cloud of smoke that rises momentarily and quickly
fades into an atmosphere of openess and honesty. Like everyone
else, I'm far from perfect. But there are no "secrets" in my life
that I need to hide from.
When all else fails,...
TRY CONFUSION!!
The "strategy of confusion" has been used against this
investigation since the beginning. I'll talk about this more in a
future update, but you need to be warned about the latest scheme.
It involves an imposter on America Online who uses the SCREEN
name of "Tom Grant" and claims to be me.
My SCREEN name is TGrantCo. That's the ONLY screen name I've
ever used or will use as long as I have this America Online
account. If the Screen name reads TGrantCo, the post is coming
>From me or someone in my office working under my direct
supervision. I sign OFF with "Tom" or "Tom Grant" or
"TGrantCo."
But I never sign ON with any other name than TGrantCo.
So when you see the name Tom Grant, be sure to check the
SCREEN name for TGrantCo to be sure the post originated from this
office.
This wasn't the first of these "confusion schemes." It won't
be the last.
LETTERS
I ended the last update with a few sample letters from readers
who support this investigation. The volume of mail increases
daily and it mostly comes from
former skeptics who are now avid supporters.
I'm aware that sharing these letters may appear to be
self-serving. The fact is, MOST of the letters I receive, ARE
supportive.
Those who take the time to write and are following the
progress of this case deserve to know what others are saying. So
I'll continue including some of your letters in future updates.
In all fairness, here's a sample of the some of the "other"
mail I receive.
Page 6 of 6
Mister Grant,
"YOU ARE SUCH A DELUDED, SELF-PROMOTING, GOLD-DIGGING,
SELF-SERVING MEDIA MONKEY WITH NO LIFE... You're rotted deluded
mind wouldn't believe how much genuine malice I have for you and
what you're doing... Your fabricated support letters make me
sick."
( E-mail excerpts from a reader on America Online)
My response to this reader....
Your opinion has been noted. But as of this moment, I do have
a life.
Kurt Cobain and all the others who followed him into a
cleverly created mirage, do not.
To those of you who are taking the time to write, I want you
to know that you are contributing more to this effort than you
might realize. I may not always be able to respond, but I really
do appreciate your comments, good or bad.
Tom
COBAIN INVESTIGATION UPDATE #5 Aug. 31, 1995 MEDIA HYPE AND THE GORY DETAILS WARNING: The following information deals with the condition of Kurt Cobain's body when found at the Lake Washington residence in April of 1994. It is graphic in nature. There's no other way to discuss this without using some of the blunt and descriptive terminology already being used by others. If you're sensitive to reading graphic details, you may want to skip over this section. KURT COBAIN'S HEAD WAS NOT BLOWN OFF!! The visual images created and promoted by Courtney Love and others are actually much worse than the true images left in the wake of Kurt's death. Contrary to popular belief, the shotgun blast resulted in VERY LITTLE VISIBLE DAMAGE! This was an intra-oral discharge. The shotgun barrel was placed in the mouth against the hard pallet. The pellets from the shotgun blast remained inside the head. This was a penetrating shot that DID NOT EXIT. As a result, there was no blood or tissue splatter typical in most shotgun blasts to the head. There was a pool of blood on the floor from seepage, and damage inside the mouth could be observed, thus the police report indicates, obvious trauma to his head. But, unlike the fake photos being passed around, and the grossly exaggerated visual images deliberately planted in the minds of Kurt's fans, THERE WAS NO GAPING EXIT WOUND. Although drawn and slightly distorted due to the beginning effects of decomposition, KURT'S FACIAL FEATURES WERE ALL LEFT INTACT AND RECOGNIZABLE. He was fingerprinted for identification as a matter of procedure...not necessity, as falsely reported in the press. The shotgun was a 20 gauge. This is a less powerful weapon than the more common 12 gauge shotgun. This shotgun, even with it's light load set-up, would normally cause much more damage. The lack of extensive damage was simply an aberration...a fluke! It happens in a small percentage of shootings of this type. But there's no way anyone could have known in advance that this shotgun would not leave a much uglier mess. The fact that it didn't had as much to do with angle of discharge and skull thickness as anything else. THE PRIVACY ISSUE The Seattle Police and the Medical Examiner's Office are allowed to keep this information from the public because in the State of Washington the reports describing the condition of the body and the cause of death are considered medical records. As a result, they are not released to the public or the press. This is done in order to provide the surviving family a certain amount of privacy and to protect the dignity of the deceased. In many cases, the law is a good one. In this case however, this law has assisted in covering up the truth while the authorities, the media, and the family continue feeding the public false information. DOES COURTNEY LOVE CARE ABOUT PRIVACY? Courtney Love consistently exploits the death of her husband. During interviews, she usually points out that she's wearing some article of Kurt's clothing, while she tells tall tales about the events surrounding her husband's death and his suicidal personality. Courtney promotes false visual images by planting inaccurate and horrific details in the minds of already confused fans. Responding to a question about writing lyrics during an interview in the December 1994 issue of Rolling Stone, Courtney comments, When you've had your husband's blood on your face, how can you write about it? When you walk around in the coat that he shot his head off in, how can you write? During another interview, Courtney cries hysterically as she talks about the prospect of Frances ever seeing a picture of him with his f__kin head blown off. Courtney has known from the beginning, her husband's head was NOT shot off and any photos of a man with his head blown off are NOT photos of Kurt Cobain!! So why all the drama? Why all the hype? Why does Courtney insist on promoting the ugliest, most violent image of the man she claims to have loved...an image she KNOWS is untrue? BECAUSE IT MAKES FOR GOOD PRESS!! No one has spread more suicide hype than Courtney love. No one has exploited and capitalized on Kurt's death more than Courtney Love. No one has exploited Kurt's daughter more than Courtney Love. And when it comes to the privacy of the family... no one has violated the dignity of Kurt Cobain more than his professional widow. A POSSIBLE THEORY? Some readers have written to say they believe Courtney may have deliberately hounded and pressured Kurt to get him to commit suicide. This is a reasonable conclusion based on what we've seen and the limited information available to the public as of this date. I seriously considered this possibility for several months after Kurt died. If this truly was a suicide, it became obvious from what I was learning, that Kurt desperately wanted to get away from Courtney. Maybe he just gave up and decided to end it all? Inconsistencies, contradictions, and additional investigation eventually excluded this theory. This was NOT a suicide. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES Aside from Courtney's hype about suicide, how much did you really hear from Kurt, his friends, and some of the writers who interviewed him? In an interview in the January, 1994 issue of Rolling Stone, Kurt DID speak of being suicidal at one time. He DID say he thought about killing himself every day! But read carefully and you'll discover he was talking about a PREVIOUS PERIOD OF TIME. For five years during the time I had my stomach problems. After describing his physical torment, he concludes, This is no way to live a life. I love to play music, but something was not right. So I decided to medicate myself. Five years of agonizing pain!... and yet when it really came down to it, Kurt Cobain did NOT choose suicide as an option! But there's more... Newsweek Magazine, April 18, 1994 (An interview with Kurt before his death) I don't want people telling her, (Frances) that her parents were junkies. (Are we to believe he didn't care if she was told her father blew his head off?) People Magazine, March 21, 1994. (An article about the Rome incident) Ironically, the incident occurred at a time when Cobain seemed to be more at peace with himself than he had been in years. Rolling Stone, Dec. 15, 1994. (David Fricke interviewing Courtney Love) It's been a year, (since his interview with Kurt), He told me he was happier than he'd ever been. And frankly, I believed him. The Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 15, 1994. (An interview with Dylan Carlson... Kurt's best friend) Kurt just wanted to make music, and he didn't want to do the grind. Carlson said Cobain did not seem suicidal. He was prepared to deal with things facing him. He said he wanted the gun for protection ... Kurt was concerned if he bought the gun in his name, the police would come and get that gun too. The gun WAS purchased in Dylan's name. One would have to wonder WHY KURT WOULD CARE that the police might eventually confiscate this gun if he was just buying it to kill himself with? What about his condition while he was at the rehab in Los Angeles, just days before his death? According to an article in the Rolling Stone book, Cobain, Neil Strauss reports, Joe Mama, a longtime friend of the couple's who was the last to visit Cobain at Exodus: I was ready to see him look like sh_t and depressed. He looked so f__cking great. Kurt met with several psychologists at the rehab. In spite of Courtney's suicidal hype, none of these psychologists believed Kurt was suicidal! Kurt was either fooling everyone... or Courtney was! WHO SHOULD WE BELIEVE? "CONSISTENT WITH SUICIDE?" The police have a FEW indicators they use to back up their opinion that Kurt's death was suicide. They refer to these details as being consistent with suicide, or consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It's interesting to me that the police fail to mention the countless INCONSISTENCIES here. For every item the police claim to be consistent with suicide, I can list many more details surrounding Kurt's death that are NOT consistent with suicide. Here are just a few: * The combination of a large dose of drugs, IN ADDITION to the shotgun blast. (I've been told by experienced homicide investigators, this is highly unusual, inconsistent. It would normally be done with one or the other... not both. * The ability to handle a shotgun after an injection of a lethal dose of heroin and valium. * THREE rounds loaded into the weapon. * No legible fingerprints on the shotgun. * A lengthy note TO HIS FANS with no evidence that it was a suicide note... (Any way you read it, it was certainly not typical of a suicide note). * Another note left, BUT KEPT IN SECRET! (Again... nothing suicidal, but it DID say he was LEAVING COURTNEY!) * No explanation or personal note to his mother. * No personal note of explanation left to his baby daughter, Frances, to help her understand all this as she gets older. * Substantial wealth, a child with a future, and yet according to the Cobain's attorney, Kurt died without even finishing the will he'd been working on. * Lies, contradictions, and phony planted stories in the press. * A wife with obvious financial motive for suicide rather than divorce. * A wife with career motive for her husband's suicide rather than the humiliation of being left by Kurt just before her record album is to be released. * A wife with a history of threats, vindictiveness, and violence. So you're expected to believe that Kurt planned his suicide enough in advance to take the time to buy a shotgun, WRITE AN EXTENSIVE LETTER TO HIS FANS, and then take his own life without any real thought for his close friends, his mother, (who claimed to be his soul mate,) and the person he loved more than anyone... his daughter! I'll be discussing MORE inconsistencies in a future update. LACK OF MOTIVE !! * The evidence will prove Kurt was leaving Courtney. She was not leaving him. So unlike many suicides, rejection by his spouse was NOT a motive. * He had no serious financial problems, in fact he was turning down millions! So depression over financial matters was NOT a motive. * He had a baby daughter that he adored. This was MOTIVE TO LIVE... NOT TO DIE. * He had millions of fans all over the world. Public rejection was certainly no motive here. BUT HE WAS A DRUG ADDICT! When you do hard drugs, you're capable of doing anything, many have said. Blaming Kurt's death ENTIRELY on his drug use is a display of ignorance and defies logic. If drug use was actually the ONLY reason this man allegedly killed himself, drug addicts who are a lot worse off than Kurt Cobain would be killing themselves by the thousands every day! Drug addicts often don't care much whether they live or die. Many die from an accidental overdose because they get careless. But very few drug addicts DELIBERATELY kill themselves simply because they're addicts. Whether on drugs or not, people who commit suicide have a reason... a motive. WHAT ABOUT HIS LYRICS? Occasionally some sadistic bully will post in one of the online folders simply to harrass Kurt's fans. Listen to his lyrics. I hate myself and want to die. He's dead. He killed himself people. Get over it! If you believe lyrics are to be taken literally, you're not paying attention to most of the music you listen to. If lyrics were meant to be taken literally, nearly every song writer would be either divorced, in prison, or dead! So what did Kurt have to say about these lyrics? In the interview with Kurt published in the January, 1994 issue of Rolling Stone, David Fricke asks, One of the songs that you cut from In Utero at the last minute was I Hate Myself And Want To Die. How literally did you mean it? KURT ANSWERS - As literal as a joke can be. Nothing more than a joke. And that has to do with why we took it off. We knew people wouldn't get it; they'd take it too seriously. It was totally satirical, making fun of ourselves. I'm thought of as this pissy, complaining, freaked-out schizophrenic who wants to kill himself all the time. He isn't satisfied with anything. And I thought it was a funny title. I wanted it to be the title of the album for a long time. But I knew the majority of the people wouldn't understand it. Kurt was right. They didn't! So to the sadists behind the harassing posts, I have to reply, These are JUST LYRICS people... Get over it ! You may not agree with everything I've got to say, but if you're looking for simple answers in order to avoid a real evaluation of all the facts of this case... look no further. Go on about your business. This whole thing may be over your head. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY? Kurt Cobain has been convicted by the police and the media of committing suicide. There has been no PROOF, only opinions... and those opinions have been BASED ON FALSE AND MISLEADING INFORMATION. Look at what little evidence you've been given by the police. Besides being inaccurate, it's pretty weak isn't it? Would a jury convict someone on this kind of weak evidence and speculation. Well, the POLICE say hes guilty, so... HE MUST BE! Try pulling that off in a court of law!! The worst thing is that Kurt isn't even here to defend himself. He has no lawyer to act as his advocate against these accusations. He's totally at the mercy of the police, the media, and those who are exploiting and capitalizing on his death. ABOUT FRANCES I've been criticized by some because they feel what I'm doing is going to hurt Frances. For the past eleven years I've worked closely with a nationally known expert on child abuse. I've donated countless hours of my time consulting, and since becoming a private investigator, I've been paid for my work on several child abuse cases. As a father of three grown daughters and grandfather of seven, my concern for kids stems from the work I do and from my own life's experiences. Unlike the majority of those who immediately pre-judged my motives in this case, I've met Frances and watched her at play. How can I help but think about this little angel every day as I work on this case? With all the negative press condemning Kurt for his alleged selfish act, Frances needs to know her father loved her too much to have done what he's been accused of doing. PROOF OF MURDER? Although many of you are already convinced Kurt was murdered, if you read the introduction to the Summary Of Events carefully, you'll notice I made it clear from the beginning that THIS information is not intended to PROVE murder. When I say Kurt Cobain was murdered, this is clearly MY opinion. But I'm trying to give you enough ACCURATE infomation here to explain WHY this is my opinion. Additional information will be revealed when this case is re-opened that will lead the investigators down a path of discovery and this house of cards will fall. The proof will then be presented in a court of law, not in the media... not on America Online. THE NEW COBAIN INFORMATION LINE (310) 652-3124 The response to the first audio has been very good. I realize the sound quality needs improving, so as interest increases, the equipment will be improved. The tapes will be changed 10 days after the release date of each monthly update. Keep checking in. There's some pretty interesting stuff ahead! MORE GREAT POLICE WORK! I've received information from a reporter that the Seattle Police Department is saying I was never employed as a detective with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. If this is true... if this is what they're really telling the press, then whoever did the research on this one is either a bold faced liar, or a really poor investigator. From what I've seen so far, it's probably a combination of both! During conversations with one of the Seattle detectives, I was reminded of the years of experience shared by the members of the homicide team. This detective said something to the effect of, I think we know a suicide when we see one. Experience can be a double edged sword. It often creates a cynical know-it-all attitude that can result in sloppy work and hastily reached conclusions. The Seattle Police Department seems to rely a little too much on the "experience" of their investigators, and not enough on the thoroughness of a legitimate investigation. SGT. CAMERON SPEAKS OUT (or does he?) When a reporter from the Orange County Register asked detective Sgt. Cameron about Kurt's missing credit card, he responded, We're not going to comment until we figure out what the hell Grant's after. What the hell Grant's after! What the hell IS Grant after?... The truth. Tony -- _ __ (_) ___ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ http://twain.ucs.umass. = Tony Bains' | `_ \| |' __| | | |/ _` | `_ \ / _` | edu/~mattd/nirvana.html nirvana page | | | | | | \ | / (_| | | | | (_| | http://twain.ucs.umass. = John Byrne's |_| |_|_|_| |_| \__,_|_| |_|\__,_| edu/~mattd/startrek.html StarTrek page