Update #7 Dec. 15, 1995 _________________________________________________________________ "Just yesterday I printed the Summary Of Events. I showed them to this kid and he laughed at first. And then he got kinda quiet, and then just kinda sat there. He says he believes you now." (E-mail from "C" at Empnet.com) _________________________________________________________________ Before I tell you about some of the experiences I've had with the media this past year, let me fill you in on some of the latest developments. LICENSE RENEWAL There's been no word as of this date on the action by Courtney to have my license suspended or revoked. The State Department Of Consumer affairs just cashed the check for my bi-annual license renewal, so I have to assume the attorneys backed off. I was looking forward to our first legal scuffle over this investigation, but once again it seems Courtney's attorneys are all bark and no bite! I'd hate to have their job. It has to be tough trying to keep the lid on this whole thing! WEB SITE SUCCESS The web site listed in the last update continues to attract a lot of attention. This site is often referred to as "Tom Grant's" page, but Chris Carman is the owner of the site and he's the person who put it together. There are several articles scheduled to appear in magazines and newspapers as a result of the thousands of readers who continue to check out this site. The site has recently been rated in the top 5% of all sites on the Internet by Point Communications Corporation! YOU'LL FIND THAT PRINTING THE MATERIAL FROM THE WEB SITE WILL GIVE YOU A MUCH BETTER, EASIER TO READ COPY THAN PRINTING FROM THE E-MAIL VERSION. Chris has informed me he may make the entire file available soon as a zipped single text file if there's a demand for it. If you're interested, let him know. A PLAN OF ACTION Many have written to inquire about what they can do to help. Of course my typical response is to ask them to tell others about the Internet web site, or copy and pass on this material to anyone who might be interested. Until the media begins a full fledged effort to investigate and report the critical details of this case, spreading the word to others will continue to be crucial during this current phase. You may not always be able to see the results, but from my vantage point, it's obvious this tactic is working well. Meanwhile, I have to ask that you continue to be patient. There will come a time when we can move ahead with a more comprehensive plan. The strategy is in place, but "timing is everything." OUT OF HIDING Some of my "sources" are now demonstrating a willingness to step forward, out of the closet of anonymity. This is going to be a welcome addition. As this case continues to move forward, more voices need to be heard. You'll be hearing directly from some of these insiders in future updates. It's going to be interesting, to say the least. THE "DREAM MACHINE" HOAX This was another example of the "confusion tactic" in an endless effort to throw a blanket of deception over the truth. This one however is backfiring. Nearly everyone I've spoken with saw through this scam immediately. As the truth begins to surface and the public learns most of what they've been told about Kurt's death has been false, they've got to come up with something! So now they want you to believe, after all is said and done... THE MACHINE MADE HIM DO IT! Courtney's games are simply becoming a little too obvious. TEARS, LIES AND THE BARBARA WALTERS INTERVIEW There's a lot I could say here, but I'll try to be brief. It was obvious to most who watched this show that Courtney Love did not belong in the same class with the other individuals featured on the program. I have to believe there were more than strings pulled to get her on. Someone used a crane with steel cables for this one! Putting that aside, I felt the segment on Courtney Love did a pretty decent job of exposing one of this year's "Most Fascinating" con-artists. The footage of Courtney's stage performance revealed she takes every opportunity to inject the image of Kurt "shooting himself" into the minds of her impressionable young fans. No matter what you believe about the cause of Kurt's death, this charade exploits not only that sad event, but also the deaths of the others who followed after him. Bad taste and exploitation are nothing new here. What really matters to Courtney is that the fans imagine Kurt with his own finger on the trigger. No pun intended because I don't consider this a joke, but does anyone else notice the overkill here? This is nothing short of a desperate attempt by a scared but shrewd "actress" at reinforcing the suicide myth. Still on drugs? As you could see from her reaction to the question posed by Barbara Walters, with all Courtney's experience, she's still not a very good liar. And finally, it's been nearly two years now. No one cries that easily whenever a camera is on... unless they want to! I can't help but remember Susan Smith! Courtney's unquenchable thirst for publicity and fame will eventually play a significant role in her downfall. AN AGENDA? Listening to a local rock DJ criticizing this investigation, I heard him comment, "He's got an AGENDA." This sounded like a weak attempt to discredit my work, but I had to wonder how the word "agenda" ever became a four letter word! This is a unique case. It calls for some unique strategies. Do I have an agenda? Of course I do! And here it is... 1. Stop the "Copy-cat" suicides ... 2. Put Courtney Love on notice... 3. Set up a forum for releasing information... 4. Gain support from Cobain's fans for a re-investigation of his death... 5. Gain support from the parents and other adults who care about Cobain's f ans... 6. Gain support from a larger segment of the adult population... 7. Inspire the media to examine the circumstances surrounding Cobain's death, and report the details accurately... 8. Pressure the authorities to re-open this case and have it investigated by unbiased investigators from another governmental agency... 9. Supply these new investigators with additional evidence and information... 10. Assist the authorities with the prosecution of the killers. STAYING FOCUSED I know it's difficult to stay focused on the basic issues because of the vast amount of details and information surrounding this case. In addition, the opposition has been fairly successful at confusing Cobain fans and other readers by continuing to plant phony stories and rumors. Many have asked for a one page flyer to distribute. One Cobain fan named Jon from Milwaukee designed a really nice one and sent me a copy. I want to thank him for that. We may make these flyers available soon as a graphic image that can be downloaded. Until then, the below list of central issues can be used as a simple one page flyer for copying and distributing. If you decide to do this, please be sure to include the Internet web site and e-mail address listed below. THE KURT COBAIN MURDER INVESTIGATION (Central Issues) 1. Kurt was in the process of leaving Courtney and Seattle when he died. 2. The so called "suicide" note was actually a retirement letter Kurt wrote to his fans. He was quitting the music business, leaving his wife, and leaving Seattle. 3. Kurt wrote another letter for Courtney. It explained he was leaving her. 4. Courtney kept this "other" note in secret. 5. Someone else had Kurt's credit card. He had it in L.A., but it was missing when the body was found. 6. Records show someone was trying to use this credit card AFTER his death, but BEFORE the body was found. 7. The police don't know who was using Kurt's missing credit card. They claim to have a "theory," about who was using this card, but won't re veal what that theory is. 8. Kurt did NOT barricade himself inside the room as the police and press reported. The stool was not "wedged" against the door as the police told me and the media. The stool was actually in front of the two unlocked doors that only led out to a balcony. 9. Kurt did NOT leave his driver's license exposed for identification as reported in the press. A police officer opened the wallet and removed the license, displaying it for a photograph. 11. The police and Coroner have no forensic evidence that PROVES Kurt's death was a suicide. 12. Courtney Love had an abundance of motive for having her husband killed. o He was leaving her o There was talk of a divorce. Courtney had asked her attorney to get her, the "meanest, most vicious" divorce lawyer she could find. o Courtney's album was about to be released. A separation from Cobain at this time would have been humiliating and disastrous to her career. o Courtney thought Kurt was having an affair. She was angry and jealo us. o And finally, greed. With a "suicide" Courtney ends up with everythi ng. If they divorce, she only gets a portion. 13. Courtney's own close friend and attorney, Rosemary Carrol suspected from the beginning that Courtney was somehow involved in having her husband killed. You can learn more about this investigation through the Internet's world wide Web at the following site; http://www.muohio.edu/~carmance/kurt.html Or E-mail The Grant Company at TGrantCo@aol.com This information is offered free of charge. We can no longer send the material by U.S. mail due to excessive demand and expense \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ THE SILENT MEDIA I've been patient with the media. I felt they needed time, given the somewhat complex nature of this case. And after all, I had very little understanding or knowledge of how editors, news directors, and radio and television producers make decisions about what to cover in their articles or broadcasts. I felt I had a lot to learn before I could criticize a profession I knew so little about. In this update as well as some in the future, I'll begin telling you about experiences I've had with specific radio, television, and print media. If you think our media "industry" has sufficient incentive to search for thetruth behind the stories they cover, you'll be blown away by what you're going to learn. THE KROC BLUNDER Oops! "Five minutes. That's all!" The producer of the Kevin and Bean show, which airs in the morning on the "World Famous KROQ," 106.7 FM in Los Angeles, was requesting a five minute on air interview by telephone last January. "Five minutes?" I thought to myself. "No way!" This was a station that plays a lot of Hole's music. These two guys are comedians. They make a joke out of everything. Why would they want me for only five minutes? Guessing that I was being set up for a sound bite harvest, I told the producer I'd do an hour minimum, nothing less - and I wanted to meet with Kevin and Bean the day before to go over what I'd be willing to discuss and what I wouldn't. "Done." We met at the studio for two hours the day before we went on the air. Kevin and Bean agreed to allow me to lead the listeners through the events outlined in the "Summary." I told them that would take up most of the hour. "No problem." Both Kevin and Bean were friendly and came across as somewhat supportive, but I had a feeling I was being set-up. I was right. Ignoring the discussions and agreements we made the day before, ten minutes or so into the broadcast I got ambushed with verbal attacks. It was obvious these guys had a job to do. Fortunately, it was also obvious to the listeners!! An hour and a half later, we were still going. The phone lines were all lit up. The switchboard was full. Kevin and Bean tried to do a hatchet job but it was backfiring. The majority of the callers were supportive of the investigation and wanted to hear more. In spite of constant criticism by these DJs, an attorney called in from his car phone and said something like, "You're not listening. This guy knows what he's doing," and then gave them a brief lesson on rules of evidence. When it came time for me to leave, Kevin and Bean asked if I'd be willing to come back the next week for a follow-up interview. It was obvious the listeners wanted more. "Sure. Anytime," I replied. Listening to my radio as I drove away from the studio, I heard the DJs promise their listeners they'd have me back soon and they'd take up the discussion about this case the next morning as well as take more calls from listeners. So instead of coming across as some kind of conspiracy nut who these guys could have some "fun" with, the radio audience determined that I was credible and what I had to say was important. Oops! What now? 7:00 AM the next morning, I tuned in to listen to the Kevin and Bean Show. What follows is a transcript of what I heard. Many who have called the Cobain Info line have heard the tape of this broadcast, but for those who haven't, this is how it goes... BEAN - "It's the world famous K-rock, 106.7 KROQ. Kevin and Bean here at 7:37. We do have to take care of some pressing business because we've had aah, I don't think I'm exaggerating if I say, we've had a lot of phone calls this morning..." KEVIN - "Aah, you're not exaggerating at all!" BEAN - "A lot of phone calls this morning who are looking for some sort of follow-up on what we devoted the entire show to yesterday which was a private investigator who was in talking about the death of Kurt Cobain... We are being forced, 100% against our will to read this to you. 'Courtney Love's representatives objected to the contents of yesterday's show. Out of deference to Miss Love, we are not going to be following up today on any subjects related to Miss Love the way we might usually do so. We may have something further to say in the future. Thanks for listening and understanding.' That's basically the total, the sum of what we are being allowed to say on the air today." So I was not invited back as they had promised their listeners, and callers were not allowed to bring up this subject on the air from that day on. CENSORSHIP This was a perfect example of how money and power can buy silence, even though the public wants to hear! This type of censorship is based entirely on fear of exposure of the truth. The tobacco companies are experts at this tactic as we've recently seen on C.B.S. and A.B.C. Most of us are extremely naive when it comes to our beliefs and understanding of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. BUT... THE MESSAGE IS GETTING THROUGH ! Dear Mr. Grant, I am new to the Internet, and I was fooling around yesterday, looking for Nirvana links, when I found the reports from your investigation. They took my breath away. Like a lot of other Nirvana fans, I never could quite accept that Kurt killed himself, but I never knew that there was so much evidence against it. When I first heard about your investigation in 1994, I thought that you were just some whacko trying to get your 15 minutes of fame. However, now that I know about you and the case, I know I could not have been more wrong. You truly want to find out the truth about Kurt's death. I just want you to know that I, and many other people who felt the same pains Kurt did deep in their souls, support you 100%... I have battled depression and alienation throughout my life. Nirvana was like a life raft for me, knowing there was someone else out there who went through the same things I did, and seemed to be winning the war. After his death, I seriously considered suicide for a time. Kurt seemed like the most stubborn guy in the world. If the world had finally beaten him down, someone so talented and successful, what chance did I stand? Now I know, as I always felt, that he didn't give in. But the world was only too eager to file him away as just another f__ked up druggie who pissed his life away. It fit the script perfectly. It's obvious that the Seattle police did this, the media did this, society at large did this. They believed what they wanted to believe. They played right into Courtney's hands, and it makes me sick. She was nothing before Kurt, and she knew she'd be nothing again without him. All of her grandstanding, her refusal to let Kurt's soul rest in peace, shows that she is more than a little too focused on reminding everyone that Kurt was HER husband and SHE'S supposedly the one who was hurt the most by his death. But she sure seemed more than willing to just keep right on going with her career with hardly a pause of mourning. Unlike Krist and Dave, who avoided the media for a long time after, she was more than willing to talk to the media and make her "grief" public. It didn't seem odd to me at the time, but now it's awfully suspicious. I'm sorry if this letter was long and rambling, but I just wanted to let you know how I feel, and how a lot of other people feel. And if only more people knew the facts, they too would want to see the case reopened. I'm looking forward to seeing your next update in the future, and I hope that the forces trying to stop you don't succeed. Good Luck, G. C. ABOUT THE "LETTERS UPDATE" The "Letters Update" (Update #8), is being released along with this update. It includes excerpts from a small portion of the mail I've received. A few well written letters have been printed in full, but including the entire contents of each letter would require too much space. I appreciate hearing from everyone who has written. I wish I could display all your letters here. I read every one and when I have the time, I often respond with a short note. I've corrected some of the obvious spelling errors. A few of these writers are young kind hearted kids who were influenced by Kurt Cobain in a very positive way. Some of them put up with harassment from other kids at school. I know it can be embarrassing to have something you wrote being read by others if you made mistakes in spelling. I'd like them to be proud to show their friends how they've contributed to this effort without being made fun of for something as petty as a mis-spelled word. For those of you who are getting flack from some of your friends with comments like, "He killed himself. Get over it," I want you to know there are thousands of thoughtful and sincere people like yourself who have subjected themselves to ridicule simply because they have an opinion and they're not afraid to express it. But opinions are continuing to change! You'll want to check out the section composed of letters from more "FORMER SKEPTICS." Our support base now includes readers of all ages, from all walks of life. Those who have written include: o Very young Nirvana fans o Older readers who have developed an interest in the case o Kids who WERE suicidal... o Professionalso Educators and the educated Letters in response to this investigation are well over 90% supportive. The "Letters Update" contains a very small sampling: It's only a matter of time. Tom Grant The Grant Company 291 S. La Cienega Bl. Suite #301 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 TGrantCo@aol.com _________________________________________________________________