Kurt Cobain's Widow Courtney Love Demanded Police Hand Over Nirvana Singer's Entire Death File, Unearthed Letter Claims: 'The Matter Can Be Closed'

Kurt Cobain's death is back in the spotlight after a newly uncovered legal letter revealed Courtney Love once asked Seattle police to turn over the complete investigative file into the Nirvana frontman's death.

The request, made roughly 18 months after Cobain died, has resurfaced as debate surrounding the case continues decades later.

In a letter dated October 20, 1995, attorney Bryan Coluccio, writing on behalf of Love and Cobain's estate, asked then-Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper to hand over every record connected to the investigation.

"This letter is to request that the complete investigation file of the Seattle Police Department pertaining to Mr. Cobain's death be delivered to me, with no further records or copies to remain with the Department," Coluccio wrote, per documents obtained by The New York Post.

The attorney also made clear that Love accepted the department's findings.

"I confirm on behalf of Mr. Cobain's estate and Ms. Love-Cobain that they are satisfied that the Seattle Police Department performed a complete and thorough investigation into Mr. Cobain's death," he continued. "Our clients agree with and accept, without any reservation, the Department's final determination that Mr. Cobain's death was a suicide. The matter can be closed."

According to the letter, the investigative file included undeveloped rolls of 35mm film, Polaroid photographs, copies of Cobain's personal letters and financial records, along with other private materials.

Coluccio explained the request stemmed from concerns that people were attempting to profit from the tragedy.

"Several persons" had tried to make money from the "sale and distribution of material pertaining to Mr. Cobain's death," he wrote before concluding, "Thank you in advance for your favorable response to this request."

The Seattle Police Department ultimately denied the request and retained possession of the records.

Retired Seattle Police Capt. Neil Low, who originally supported the suicide ruling after conducting a 2005 audit of the case but has since publicly said he believes Cobain was murdered, criticized the letter.

"Attorney Bryan Collucio's request that the SPD give his client all of the police records related to the Cobain investigation is totally absurd," Low said.

He added: "As an 'officer of the court,' you would expect Mr. Collucio to know that police agencies are required to document all of their official business and correspondence as a matter of public record."

"How could there be public record compliance if the police gave everything to this attorney and his law firm? Where would the accountability be?" Low continued.

Michelle Wilkins, who leads the "Who Killed Kurt?" investigative group, also questioned the request.

"Every cold case lives or dies on the evidence that's preserved," she explained.

"When lawyers are demanding investigative materials be removed from police custody, it doesn't protect the pursuit of truth—it makes future scrutiny far more difficult," Wilkins added.

The newly resurfaced letter follows another document that emerged in May — an internal Seattle Police Department memo claiming Love also wanted crime scene photographs destroyed shortly after Cobain's death.

According to the memo, Detective Sgt. Don Cameron wrote that he rejected the alleged request because destroying the images would make the department appear "foolish and unprofessional."

In 2014, Seattle police released 37 crime scene photographs as part of a cold-case review while reaffirming their conclusion that Cobain died by suicide.

Love, Cobain's family and several of his close friends have consistently supported that finding.

However, the "Who Killed Kurt?" group continues to argue forensic evidence points to homicide.