African grey parrot may be summoned as witness in court trial
A pet parrot may be used in trial of a woman who killed a man, the owner of the bird, a report says.
The bird, a 19-year-old African grey parrot called Bud, has been repeating the phrase “don’t f**king shoot” ever since his owner, Martin Duram, was shot dead in May 2015.
Duram was shot multiple times in Sand Lake, Michigan by his wife Glenna, 48, who was charged with first-degree murder on Thursday.
The prosecutor told WOOD TV in Detroit that he is considering using the winged witness on the stand as evidence.
“He’s using Marty’s voice,” said Christina Keller, Duram’s ex-wife, who now owns Bud. “It imprinted in his brain, and he can’t let it go,” Keller told the station.
“That bird picks up everything and anything, and it’s got the filthiest mouth around,” Duram’s mom, Lillian Duram, told the station.
After the shooting, which took place in the couple’s home, Glenna was found with a gunshot wound to her head the same day as Martin’s murder, but survived.
Newaygo county prosecuting attorney Robert Springstead said that his office is studying Bud’s words and trying to see whether it could be admissible in court.
“It’s an interesting novelty and it’s been a great opportunity for me to learn about African parrots,” Springstead told the Detroit Free Press.
This is not the first time that a parrot is being considered as a witness. A similar case was reported in 1993, when a man was accused of murdering his business associate, a woman, who also had a parrot.
Max, an African grey like Bud, was at the scene at the time of the killing and began repeating the phrase: “No Richard, no no no!”
The attorney of the shooter was Charles Ogulnick, who wanted that evidence to be heard in the court.
However, the judge in the case eventually refused to consider the parrot’s words and the murderer, Gary Rasp, received a life sentence.
But this time, the case is different as a prosecutor is considering the parrot’s words.
“If the district attorney wants to introduce it, it wouldn’t surprise me if the judge thinks it’s a good idea,” Ogulnick said.
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