Annotated_Autopsy The Last Hours Of-July 7.en.txt

 have an impact on peoples lives.
 One of the most important bands to ever walk the earth.
 Their influence will never ever go away.
 They had the perfect combination with the classic lineup.
 They had the personalities that could create friction that created great music and they dont come along very often.
 It was just a giant firework display that was just the best youve ever seen but it wasnt built to last.
 It exploded into the sky and we all went Ahh and it was gone. Fabulous.
 We have a death.
 We need to confirm identification and then we need to perform an autopsy.
 The lead singer of the rock band Nirvana Kurt Cobain has died of a gunshot wound in Seattle.
 The world was stunned when Kurt Cobain the 27yearold musician and selfstyled prince of grunge was found dead.
 Kurt Cobain was a genius. He was the powerful voice of a generation.
 true artist. Even in his pain he was genuine.
 But with success came pressures that Kurt found hard to handle.
 He worked so hard to become a millionaire rock star.
 And then once he did he didnt like it very much.
 And on April 8th 1994 when Kurt Cobain was found dead at his Seattle mansion it appeared to be a clearcut case of suicide. Kurt was the poster boy for suicide. I said Hes going to kill himself.
 But despite leaving a suicide note many people refused to believe that Kurt Cobain had taken his own life.
 I knew from the beginning that Kurt had been murdered.
 Kurt Cobains death certificate says that he died from a single shotgun wound to the head.
 But why would a man whos just achieved his lifelong goal of becoming a rock star and starting a family kill himself?
 Could foul play have been involved? Dr.
 Michael Hunter is a worldrenowned forensic pathologist and the Chief Medical Examiner in one of Americas biggest cities. Hes performed over 4000 autopsies to investigate and reveal the cause of death. Hes trying to kick the heroin addiction hes developed since becoming a rock star. One of the people he smoked a cigarette with outside said that Kurt just seemed like a happygolucky guy without a problem in the world.
 Kurt Cobains investigative records show that he died from a shotgun wound to the head fired through the mouth.
 But why would a man who has struggled to make it as a musician and whod just started a family kill himself? Four days before Kurt Cobains death. Kurt is at the Exodus Recovery Center in Marina Del Rey.
 Im gonna use all the available evidence to investigate what happened to Kurt both mentally... ..and physically and discover more about why he died. 230pm.
 He seemed very excited about life.
 Kurt had only recently become a millionaire after a lifetime of financial hardship and had just bought himself a mansion in an exclusive area of Seattle where he lived with his wife Courtney Love and his 19monthold baby Frances Bean. In a recently discovered interview recorded a few months before his death Kurt claimed hed never been happier.
 Ever since Ive been married and Ive had a child within the last year everything my whole mental state and my physical state  has almost improved 100 per cent.
 Ive never been more optimistic.
 But within five days of appearing optimistic about the future Kurt Cobain was dead.
 He was 27 and he joins a long list of stars who died at this age including Jim Morrison Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse.
 Its an exclusive club.
 And I want to find out what led Kurt to join it.
 Kurt Donald Cobain was born on February 20th 1967 in Aberdeen a small industrial town located two hours south of Seattle.
 Aberdeen was a logging town where everybody was macho. Kurts dad was a mechanic and his mother was a waitress.
 He certainly wasnt the type who was gonna go out and cut down trees. But his upbringing was far from easy.
 The whole Cobain family was dysfunctional. The dysfunctional part I think was that he was living with parents who were using more alcohol than normal.
 Im talking all of us.
 And its hard for you to be a happy little kid if youre growing up in a family thats fighting and who dont really know how to raise children. BEV Music saved Kurt. I really do think it was therapeutic for him.
 KURT I was ashamed of my parents. I couldnt face some of my friends at school. I think it was the only way he knew to express his feelings.
 Because I desperately wanted to have the classic typical family mother father. I wanted that security. Kurts parents separated when he was nine. He found solace in music which he showed promise at from an early age. He was a child prodigy who possessed this rare unique artistic talent.
 Kurt started by playing the drums before moving on to guitar. It was Kurts approach that would be at the forefront of a new style of music.
 But it wasnt until he was 18 that he met Chris Novoselic and formed the band Nirvana.
 How he was able to take punk music... ..old rock n roll minimalist melodic music stick it all in a soup and come out with what he did I think that was pretty revolutionary. It is epitomized in their iconic track Smells Like Teen Spirit.
 This fusion of rock and punk became known as grunge.
  With the lights out its less dangerous  Here we are now entertain us  I feel stupid and contagious  Here we are now entertain us  A mulatto... Nirvanas album Nevermind released in 1991 went to the top of the charts around the world and established Kurt Cobain as the biggest rock star of his generation. In February 1992 Kurt married the former stripper and lead singer of the band Hole Courtney Love.
 As soon as she married him I listened to a lot of his poetry and a lot of his music and I thought This guys pretty profound. BEV I think he was popular because he was wounded. IAN He spoke to this lost generation.
 He looked like a person who was down on his luck and rebellious. So I think the kids could really relate to that.
 And became the voice of the generation.
 This is a photograph of Nirvana taken six months prior to Kurt Cobains death. And drummer David Grohl is six feet tall.
 And Im surprised at how small Kurt is. Bass guitarist Chris Novoselic is incredibly tall. Hes six foot six inches.
 According to his records Kurt was fivenine but looked considerably smaller.
 This could be due to a disorder he was suffering from called scoliosis.
 And in this recently discovered interview Kurt sheds new light on what he thought caused this condition.
 I had scoliosis when I was in junior high.
 Ive been playing guitar ever since. His music felt like he was always in pain that he was angstridden.
 The weight of the guitar has made my back grow in this curvature. DR. HUNTER Scoliosis or curvature of the spine occurs in about three per cent of people. It most commonly arises in the teenage years. The curve is usually either Sshaped with two bends or Cshaped with one.
 So when I stand everythings sideways.
 Thats a typical reflection of the scoliosis that he battled with.
 Its a common misconception that scoliosis causes pain.
 But that is not always the case. And the cause is oftentimes unknown. This is an Xray of Kurt Cobains spine.
 It shows that he had Cshaped scoliosis. This wouldnt be caused by the weight of his guitar but it could be exacerbated by it. As there is no mention of any pain or psychological distress associated with this condition I dont believe that this was responsible for his death.
 However Kurt did suffer from another longstanding medical condition that had a huge impact on him. So I want to investigate whether it led him to take his own life. I remember putting on a brave face to hide my symptoms of depression. I was on an antidepressant. But I still had depression symptoms... It was tough getting through the day... hiding how I really felt. Something had to change. Thats why I asked my doctor about adding REXULTI. i Feel better abouti i facing the world.i i Pay 0 for your firsti i REXULTI prescription.i i Details at REXULTI.com.i i inhale exhale Air Wicki i You dont live in one corner.i i Fragrance shouldnt either.i i Air Wicks new technologyi i releases fragrancei i upwards and outwards unlikei i Febreze.i iSo now you can fill every corneri iwith fragrance.i i Upgrade to Air Wick.i Protect your pet with the 1 name in flea and tick protection. FRONTLINE Plus.
 So I talked to my doctor for real.
 No more saying Oh Im fine. This time I spoke up about living behind the mask. And he told me about REXULTI. Without giving up the progress I may have made on my antidepressant. i REXULTI is not for everyone.i i Call your doctor about unusuali i changes in behaviori i worsening depressioni i or thoughts of suicide.i iAntidepressants can increasei ithese in those 24 and younger.i i Elderly dementia patientsi i taking REXULTIi i have an increased riski i of death or stroke.i i Call your doctor if you havei i high fever stiff musclesi i and confusion to addressi i a possiblei ilifethreatening condition...i i or if you have uncontrollablei i muscle movementsi i as these may be permanent.i i REXULTI has been showni i to increase blood sugari i in some people.i i Other risks are increasedi i cholesterol weight gaini i unusual urges ori i compulsive behaviors ...i i decreased white blood cellsi i which can be serious ...i idizziness on standing seizuresi i trouble swallowingi i and impaired judgmenti i or motor skills.i It was time to make a change.
 He said that REXULTI when added to an antidepressant ... has been proven to help reduce symptoms of depression.
 Trusted by vets for nearly 20 years.
 This is nice. Yeah...yeah this is nice. Hmm.
 How did you make the dip so rich and creamy?
 Oh its a Philadelphia Family recipe.
 Can I see it?
 No.
 i Philadelphia Dips.
 So goodi i youll take all the credit.i What makes DiGiorno Crispy Pan Pizza different than delivery?
  PAN PAN PAN PAAAAN You bake it fresh in its own pan! Giving our DiGiorno pizza a crispy caramelized crust.
  PAAAAN Its not Delivery Its DiGiorno.
 NEWSREADER A member of the rock music scene is dead.
 Police in Seattle say that Kurt Cobain the lead singer of the group Nirvana has taken his own life.
 April 8th 1994.
 Kurt Cobain is found dead at his house in Seattle with a gunshot wound to his head.
 Expert coroner and forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter is examining all the medical evidence available to try and work out if and why Kurt Cobain took his own life.
 Suicides are rarely down to just one factor.
 There are oftentimes a mixture of both physical and psychological conditions.
 So I want to dig deeper to find out what precipitated his death.
 The Excelsior Hotel Rome.
 One month before Kurt Cobains death.
 Kurt has arrived in Rome to meet his wife Courtney Love.
 Hes just pulled out of Nirvanas European tour blaming it on bronchitis.
 Kurts relationship with Courtney is also suffering with rumors of divorce.
 But despite their problems they leave their daughter Frances Bean with their nanny and spend the evening drinking champagne together.
 Do what you need to do.
 CHRISTOPHER Champagne is a very unKurtlike drink.
 He wasnt really a big drinker at the best of times.
 Champagne is more of a rock star drink. And he wasnt into that.
 The couple drink into the early hours before they fall asleep.
 At 625am Courtney wakes to find Kurt is no longer beside her.
 Kurt?
 Kurt come on wake up.
 I said wake up!
 When she fails to wake him she calls for help.
 Hello?
 Yeah I need an ambulance.
 At 640am a paramedic arrives.
 When he also fails to revive Kurt hes taken to the Umberto I Hospital less than two miles away.
 BEV I listened to the news. And they said that Courtney had found Kurt unconscious. And blue. Which to me means... Thats like the color of death.
 I just thought This guy is a poster boy for suicide.
 I went to his grandfather Leland and I told him I was really really worried about Kurt.
 I said Youve got to talk to him. Hes going to kill himself.
 It was later revealed that Kurt had left a suicide note.
 He had admitted in many interviews to using heroin but had in fact overdosed on Rohypnol.
 Rohypnol is a tranquilizer also known as the date rape drug. But its also prescribed to treat heroin withdrawal.
 A month later Kurt was dead leaving little clue if and why he took his own life.
 But in a note found at the scene Kurt mentions and I quote his burning nauseous stomach. And this is a reference to the chronic stomach pain that was so debilitating that he said it blighted his life.
 So could this be the reason he attempted suicide in Rome and finally took his life a month later?
 Kurts parents marriage started to collapse when Kurt was seven.
 By the time he was nine and they divorced their breakup was having a devastating effect on him.
 IAN When his parents split he started to change.
 Cause for any kid its not easy.
 And thats sort of when the stomach pain first surfaced.
 He had stomach problems from an early age. And it wasnt diagnosed.
 If you look at any of the seminal moments in his life that stomach pain was there.
 It may very well have been that part of his condition was psychosomatic. We know that being in emotional turmoil makes physical pain feel worse.
 So it wouldnt be shocking to assume that his mental state did affect his physical state.
 IAN It haunted him because he couldnt function properly in everyday life.
 He really felt that... ..unless he got rid of the stomach pain basically life was over.
 I can see from Kurts records that he was treated for his stomach condition. And he also had three endoscopic procedures to try to determine precisely the cause of his pain.
 An endoscopy is where a small camera is inserted through the mouth and then moved down the throat into the esophagus stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract.
 The camera relays the images back to the screen where the doctor can see inside the body in great detail.
 But despite having three endoscopic examinations the doctors could find no explanation for Kurts chronic stomach pain leading him to speculate on its causes. Its psychosomatic.
 KURT Every time Ive had an endoscope they find a red irritation in my stomach. But its just um...