One Seattle man, who for 20 years has publicly claimed Kurt Cobain was murdered, is suing the Seattle Police Department after it released 24 new photos taken at the scene of the Nirvana frontman's death at his home on Lake Washington Boulevard.

Although the photos don't reveal anything new about the case, and are similar to ones released at the time of Cobain's death on April 5, 1994, Richard Lee claims they should have been released 20 years ago. Seattle police revealed the never-before-seen photos after a brief reexamination of the case's evidence, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Police had discovered several undeveloped rolls of film, but the case remains closed.

Cobain's death, which was ruled a suicide, shocked Nirvana fans around the world. The singer was found at his Seattle home on April 8, 1994, three days after he shot himself in the head with a shotgun.

Lee, the man filing the lawsuit, describes himself as an investigative journalist, and had several unsuccessful runs for mayor of Seattle. The 50-year-old made a name for himself by promoting baseless claims that Cobain was killed, and that someone is trying to cover it up.

He was one of the first people to publicly question the circumstances surrounding Cobain's death, and has remained one of the few who publicly promote conspiracy theories related to the case. A week after Cobain's body was discovered, Lee hosted a show on public-access television called "Kurt Cobain Was Murdered," the Post-Intelligencer reported.

Over the years, Lee has had numerous altercations with law-enforcement officers involved in the Cobain case, as well as those close to the musician. Nirvana band member Krist Novoselic obtained a restraining order against Lee in 2000. In 2005, Lee was arrested while attempting to ask Courtney Love (Cobain's widow) questions about his death during an unrelated court hearing in Los Angeles.

Lee will be his own attorney in the lawsuit, according to the Post-Intelligencer. He claims police should have given him all available photos after he requested the material at the time of Cobain's death. Lee adds that police refused to provide him with the new photos, even though they gave pictures to several media outlets.

Lee asked to have a trial on a wide range of issues concerning police disclosures involving Cobain's death, but hasn't gone after the police in the one area where he could have a shot at winning.

In Washington, any government agency that doesn't disclose public records is liable to pay $5 to $100 per document per day for as many days as the agency withheld the material, according to the Post-Intelligencer. For 24 photos, that sum could result in quite a bit of money, and government organizations have previously been ordered to pay six-figure sums. So far, though, Lee hasn't requested that a judge look into whether the fine is applicable in his case.

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