Was Elliott Smith's Death a Murder or Suicide?
The Mysterious Death of one of the Greatest Talents in Lo-fi Music
Mar 27, 2009
Elliott Smith was one of the most influential and talented musicians to emerge from the Lo-fi music scene during the 1990’s. The American singer/songwriter is widely recognized for his captivating and authentic musical style, which contained an astonishing blend of innovative chord transitions with strikingly powerful lyrical compositions. Despite his growing success, Smith publicly suffered from chronic depression and drug addiction, on and off, throughout his entire adult life.
On October 21, 2003, paramedics were called to Smith’s Los Angeles apartment and discovered the musician lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds to his chest. The paramedics had immediately rushed Smith to the hospital, but it was unfortunately too late for the talented musician; Smith was only 34 years old.
Although it is highly believed that Smith committed suicide, because of the singer’s public history of depression and past suicide attempts; the physical evidence from Smith’s case is more consistent with a homicide than that of a suicide attempt.
Here is a deeper look into the death of Elliott Smith. Was it really a suicide? Or was it murder?
Elliott Smith’s Career in Music
Elliott Smith first broke out onto the alternative music scene in 1991, as the lead singer and guitarist for the Portland, Oregon band, Heatmiser. In 1994, Smith departed from Heatmiser to better focus on his emerging solo career, with the release of his first full length solo album, “Roman Candle”.
Smith received his first big break onto the mainstream music scene in 1996, with an Academy Award nomination for his song, “Miss Misery”, which was featured on the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed movie, “Good Will Hunting”.
At the time of his death, Smith had just finished working on his sixth full length studio album, “From a Basement on a Hill”, which was released posthumously by the musician’s family, exactly one year from the date of Smith’s death in 2003.
Elliott Smith’s Death
According to the official police statement, which was taken from Elliott Smith’s live-in girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Chiba; on the day of Smith’s death, the musician and Chiba were reportedly engaged in a heated argument, which eventually caused Chiba to leave Smith and lock herself in the couple’s bathroom in their Los Angeles apartment.
Jennifer Chiba reportedly told the police that while she was in the bathroom, she had heard Elliott Smith let out a very loud scream. When Chiba left the bathroom to discover the cause of the loud noise, she told the police that she witnessed Smith standing in the living room of the couple’s apartment, gasping for air with a knife protruding from his chest.
Chiba then claims to have immediately ran over towards Smith, pulled the knife from his chest, and called the 911 emergency operator. Even though Elliott Smith obtained immediate medical attention, the singer was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital. Smith’s death was ruled an apparent “death from stabbing” and Smith was diagnosed with “two lacerations to the heart” in the coroner’s report.
Was it Murder or Suicide?
Even though, the statement that Jennifer Chiba had given to the police, indicates that Smith’s death was in fact a suicide; Elliot Smith’s official autopsy report came back “inconclusive” with that of a suicide attempt.
So, the lingering question still remains, what really occurred on that tragic day? Was it really possible for Elliott Smith to have delivered two fatal stab wounds to his own heart? And if not, who did?
Unfortunately, these questions cannot be met with any form of affirmative answer, instead; the evidence must speak for itself. Here are two lists containing the evidence which, suggested Smith’s death was a homicide and the evidence that suggested Smith’s death was a suicide.
Evidence of Suicide
- Police have reported to have found what they believed to be a suicide note, which was a Post-It note with Smith’s handwriting.
- The official autopsy report for Smith, stated that the “location and direction” of the stab wounds to Smith’s chest, were consistent with that of a suicide.
- Smith’s past history of failed suicide attempts and depression.
- Jennifer Chiba’s official statement to the police.
Evidence of Murder
- The Post-It note found at the crime scene is allegedly said to have had Smith’s name misspelled on it.
- There was a noticeable absence of hesitation wounds, which are common in suicide, found during Smith’s autopsy.
- It would have been extremely difficult for Smith to have effectively stabbed himself in the heart twice, while wearing his t-shirt.
- Smith’s autopsy report found possible defensive wounds on the singer’s hands.
Elliott Smith’s death was a horribly tragic loss, for the musician’s family, friends, fans, and the music industry as a whole. No matter what the true cause of Smith’s death, the enormity of its impact on the music industry and the singer's countless fans, continues to be felt to this day.
References
- Dansby, Andrew (December 31, 2003). "Smith Autopsy Inconclusive - Police keep investigation of singer-songwriter's death open". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elliottsmith/articles/story/5936000/smith_autopsy_inconclusive. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
- "Official Autopsy Report on Steven Paul Smith". The Smoking Gun. 2004-01-08. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/esmithaut1.html. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
- Lang, Alison (October 24, 2003). "Elliott Smith found dead at 34—Troubled musician struggled with fame and addiction". The Queen's Journal. http://www.queensjournal.ca/articlephp/point-vol131/issue17/arts/story3. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
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