On October 21, 2003, Elliott Smith was found dead in his Silver Lake bungalow in Los Angeles, with a kitchen knife lodged in his chest, his heart pierced twice.
A statement from the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner's office stated that the 34-year-old musician's death was an apparent suicide.
"A single knife wound that appeared to be self-inflicted was evident on the body, though police detectives are investigating the incident for foul play and/or other possibilities," the report read, per The Guardian.
The grim details of his death raised unsettling questions that have persisted for over two decades.
The Final Moments
According to The Daily Mail, Smith’s girlfriend, musician Jennifer Chiba, was the only witness to the events that led to his death.
In a police statement, Chiba recounted a petty argument between the couple that spiraled out of control. Seeking some space, she locked herself in the bathroom, but soon heard Smith threaten to take his own life.
When she ran out, she found him in the kitchen, hunched over the sink, gasping for breath with the knife protruding from his chest. She immediately removed the blade and attempted CPR, but Smith was pronounced dead just 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital.
Chiba told detectives that the incident was a suicide, pointing to Smith’s long history of depression, drug abuse, and self-loathing - issues that had been chronicled in his music.
A brief note found on the kitchen counter seemed to support her claim. “I'm so sorry - love, Elliott. God forgive me,” it read.
Suspicions Arise
Despite Chiba's account, the circumstances surrounding the Between the Bars singer's death have been shrouded in doubt.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, in its report released three months later, noted several irregularities that raised suspicions of foul play.
One significant detail was that both of Smith’s stab wounds had been inflicted through his clothing, an unusual occurrence for self-inflicted injuries.
The lack of hesitation marks, which are typically found in suicides, and small lacerations on Smith’s hands and shoulder, thought to be defensive wounds, fueled further doubts.
While the coroner acknowledged Smith's history of depression as a factor that could explain suicide, they also raised the possibility of homicide.
"Additionally, the girlfriend's reported removal of the knife and subsequent refusal to speak with detectives are all of concern," the report read. "Since a complete knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the stabbing is lacking, the mode will remain underdetermined until… sufficient additional information becomes available."
In the wake of the report, Chiba denied any involvement, claiming she had not refused to speak with detectives and stating that she had nothing to hide. She also claimed that if she were a suspect, she would have been questioned by investigators.
The Mystery Deepens
Adding to the intrigue was the rarity of Smith’s alleged method of suicide. According to the LA Coroner’s Office, less than 4% of suicides in 2001 and 2002 involved “sharp force trauma,” with the vast majority being cases of wrist-slashing.
Smith’s method of self-harm was strikingly rare and, as experts noted, unusual for someone with his history of addiction and depression.
Smith's Addiction Battle
The Angeles musician had long battled addiction, and friends recalled the severe toll it took on his mental health. At the height of his drug abuse, he reportedly spent up to $1,500 a day on heroin, crack, and prescription tranquilizers.
He had been on suicide watch multiple times, with record producer David McConnell noting that Smith’s drug use had made him resistant to any attempts at intervention.
Back in 1997, Smith attempted suicide by jumping off a cliff in North Carolina, a fall that was miraculously broken by a tree. He was later admitted to a psychiatric ward.
But in the final years of his life, he appeared to be turning a corner as he had stopped using drugs after undergoing a controversial treatment called neurotransmitter restoration, and a toxicology report confirmed that he was clean at the time of his death, with only prescription drugs in his system.
However, experts suggest that quitting drugs suddenly, without proper medical supervision, can trigger mood swings, paranoia, and psychosis, which could have played a role in Smith’s emotional state in his final days.
Chiba, a licensed psychotherapist, acknowledged the dangers of sudden sobriety, saying that her partner was “remembering traumatic things from childhood” that he believed were related to sexual abuse.
Friends of Smith have remembered the late star as a kind, deeply talented person who was tormented by his inner demons.
Mark Flanagan, the owner of LA's Largo, where Smith frequently performed, said, “His death was shocking and tragic, and the fact that his death was not investigated fully is also tragic for his friends and fans. Of course, it would not heal the pain of his loss, but it could have eased the pain for many to know the truth surrounding his death.”
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