Parrot Witness: Bird Testimony Solved Mysterious 2015 Murder Case in Michigan

A parrot was on the spotlight of a murder case in Michigan almost a decade ago. It became a key witness to give a 'bird testimony' by local authorities about the mysterious incident involving a dead husband with fatal shot wounds, with his wife also severely injured, according to reports.

During investigations, the African grey parrot appeared to be mimicking the words made by the victim in his last moments. This bizarre evidence caused the wife to be primary suspect in the case.

2015 Michigan Murder Case

It was in 2015 when Marty Duram was found dead after being shot five times in his Michigan home. Authorities reported that his wife, Glenna Duram, was also shot in the head but survived. Afterward, Glenna claimed to have not recalled any information about the shootings.

However, this narrative changed when their African grey parrot started to squawk voices that apparently resembled Marty's voice, repeating words like "No, no, don't shoot!", according to local media reporting. The voices produced by the parrot witness seemingly came from during an argument between the couple.

Parrot Witness

The case's prosecutor asserted that the parrot was also in the same house during that time and witnessed the whole incident, right in front of the couple. Following an investigation, authorities charged the Michigan woman with murder for shooting his husband five times. By July 2017, it has been reported that Glenna was found by the jury to be guilty of first-degree murder.

Since then, the parrot witness was sent to Marty's ex-wife, Christina Keller, who was reportedly convinced that 'Bud the parrot' witnessed Glenna shooting her husband before shooting herself with the same gun in a case of failed suicide attempt.

Although the bird was not actually called to the stand to testify as a key witness during the murder trial, the Michigan murder case's prosecutor initially considered to use Bud's "squawkings as evidence" in the trial. However, this proposed parrot witness was later dismissed by the court.

African Grey Parrot

African grey parrots are known for their intelligence and memory to remember and imitate sounds, including human voices. Although these bird species thrive in their natural habitat and have an average lifespan of 60 years. According to the organization World Animal Protection, they often outlive their human owners, resulting traumatic rehoming several times in their life, in some cases.

Being as exotic pets, African grey parrots are some of the most popular bird species to be kept as a pet in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe. Their popularity comes not only from their overall intelligence, but also due to their majestic appearance and ability to mimic human speech.

As social animals, African grays also need constant attention from their human owners. If not, the birds will experience boredom and stress, as well as engage in self-inflicting damage, according to experts.