Eldon ‘El Duce’ Hoke, frontman of the band The Mentors, made controversial allegations about his involvement in Kurt Cobain’s death.
El Duce Claims Love Offered Him $50,000
El Duce alleged that Courtney Love offered him $50,000 to ‘whack’ Kurt Cobain. The claim gained credibility when Hoke passed a lie detector test in 1996. According to The Sun, David Portnow, a Seattle-based PIG Records executive, witnessed unusual behavior from El Duce months before Cobain’s death. Portnow’s account strengthened this narrative. He reported seeing El Duce with a bag full of cash approximately eight months before Cobain’s death on April 5, 1994.
David Portnow continues to call for the case to be reopened.
El Duce Went Under a Lie Detector Test
The allegations reached wider audiences through The Jerry Springer Show and The National Enquirer. According to Global News, El Duce underwent a polygraph test regarding his claims about Courtney Love during The Jerry Springer Show. Lie detector tests are not admissible in court evidence, though.
Nick Broomfield’s documentary ‘Kurt & Courtney’ provided the most comprehensive platform for these claims. El Duce’s April 11, 1997 interview for the film reiterated the $50,000 offer. He also mentioned knowing the actual perpetrator and referred to someone named “Allen.”
El Duce’s Mysterious Death
According to The Sun, El Duce was found dead on railroad tracks in Riverside, California. This occurred just eight days after filming his documentary interview and one day after his final performance. Steve Broy, The Mentors’ bass player, described the incident: “He was decapitated in the accident — he was hit full on by a freight train doing 60 MPH.” The coroner’s office attributed his death to “misadventure” due to high blood alcohol content. The timing led to continued speculation.
The Berkeley Side reveals an important counterpoint. The Mentors’ bass player, Steve Broy, suggested that a band associate fabricated the Courtney Love story to sell to tabloids.
