Kurt Cobain's coroner allegedly boasted that he was 'intimate' with rocker's wife Courtney Love

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Even decades after his death, the late Kurt Cobain, the recognizable frontman of the 1990s grunge band Nirvana, remains a source of curiosity and conjecture.

According to Radar Online, bestselling author Ian Halperin—who penned 'Case Closed: The Cobain Murder'—has revealed bombshell allegations regarding Cobain's coroner, claiming that Dr Nikolas Hartshorne was supposedly having an affair with the singer's wife Courtney Love.

Kurt Cobain's coroner claimed he had 'intimate' relationship with Courtney Love

Halperin claimed that medical examiner Dr Nikolas Hartshorne confessed to him that he had a "conflict of interest" when he concluded that Cobain committed suicide at his Seattle residence.

The bestselling author further alleged that "Dr. Hartshorne allegedly boasted of an intimate relationship with Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, which he claims compromised the objectivity of the autopsy findings."

Halperin further claimed that Dr Hartshorne went so far as to inform him he had been on dates with Love.

"He insinuated to me that he had something with her and said ‘I can't tell you more, but use your own imagination. His inference was that it was potentially sexual and more than a friendship," Halperin told The US Sun.

Halperin claimed that Hartshorne—who died in a jumping base accident in Switzerland in 2002—was an ardent follower of Courtney Love and Nirvana but lacked the requisite toxicological knowledge.

The author revealed that the medical examiner had admitted in 1996 that he should have been removed from performing the rocker's autopsy.

Halperin's claims cast doubt on the standard of the autopsy as well as the preliminary inquiry into Cobain's death.

The author references former police chief Norm Stamper's statement that a new investigation needs to be conducted to support his claim that Seattle police were advised against looking into Cobain's death as a possible murder.

As with previous high-profile instances like Tupac Shakur and Martha Moxley in recent years, Halperin remains hopeful that new information will surface to bolster his theory that Cobain was murdered.

Kurt Cobain's 'autopsy report' reveals 'details of troubled star's tragic suicide'

The shocking claims follow the January 2024 leak of an alleged copy of Cobain's autopsy report, which has never been released to the public due to privacy regulations in Washington state.

According to an autopsy report, that has been making the rounds online, Cobain – who was discovered dead in the garage of his Seattle, Washington, home on April 8, 1994 – had self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Chief medical examiner Dr Donald Reay and assistant medical examiner for King County Dr Hartshorne signed the autopsy report that was leaked online.

Along with opiates and benzodiazepines in his urine, the 'In Bloom' singer was found to have needle track marks down his right arm and blood samples showing morphine, codeine, and diazepam.

In his book, 'Case Closed: The Cobain Murder', released in 2023, Halperin asserted that Cobain was incapable of suicide because he possessed 70 times the fatal amount of heroin in his system.

"Forensic pathological experts say it's impossible for anybody to withstand that much heroin for more than a second, let alone turn around, lift a shotgun, turn the shotgun, and try to blow their head off," Halperin told The US Sun.

Halperin puts forth alleged evidence that points to criminal activity and implies that Cobain was murdered. In addition, Love has consistently rejected Halperin's challenge to submit to a lie-detector test to prove her innocence.

"I was the first person to ever interview the coroner and he admitted to me he should not have been the guy to do the exam," Halperin claimed in response to the autopsy report leak.

Halperin further claimed: "He admitted to me that he was intimately involved with Courtney and he should never have been so presumptuous with what he put in the autopsy."

"He admitted it was a conflict of interest and he should have recused himself from the case and then another autopsy be conducted," he added.