Current Date: 08 Aug, 2025
{{entry.title}}

Woman found guilty of murdering her husband after a parrot repeated the victim's 'last words'

In 2017, a woman named Glenna Duram shot her husband five times before attempting suicide. Soon after, the couple’s pet African Grey parrot, the only witness to the crime, started repeating the words “don’t f*****g shoot!” It is thought to have been the pair’s last exchange. Duram survived and was found guilty of first-degree murder.

After an unexpected witness—a parrot—emerged in a murder trial that gripped the nation, a woman was found guilty of killing her husband. The peculiar turn of events was revealed when the parrot started repeating the victim’s final words, seemingly accusing his wife of the crime. This extraordinary case has sparked intense interest and debate about the use of animal testimony in the legal system. This article delves into the specifics of the case, looking at the background of the defendant and the victim, the circumstances surrounding the incident, the trial and conviction, the veracity and ramifications of the parrot’s testimony, the psychological evaluation of the defendant, the reactions of the public, and ultimately the significance and controversy surrounding the parrot’s role in this unusual murder trial.

The Story:

Martin Duram was shot five times with a.22 caliber handgun before he passed away in his Michigan home in May 2015.

Glenna, his wife, was discovered next to him, still alive but with one gunshot wound, which, according to the prosecution, indicated a failed suicide attempt.

The couple, who had been together for 11 years, testified in court about how they typically spoke every day, but their neighbor had grown worried after not hearing from them for two days. Before authorities arrived and realized Glenna was still breathing, she thought they were both dead when she eventually entered the house and discovered both of their bodies on the floor of the bedroom.

Sgt. Gary Wilson, who went to check Glenna’s pulse, told the court how as he touched her, her eyes flew open and her body jerked, as she said: “What are you doing?”

Woman found guilty of murdering her husband after a parrot repeated the victim 1
Martin Duram. Credit: WOOD TV8/ABC

Two years later, a Michigan jury in the Newaygo County found Glenna guilty of first-degree murder following eight hours of deliberation.

According to The Detroit News, police reports showed that the couple had been having money problems before the shooting, which had been made worse by Glenna’s addiction to gambling.

Under the love seat, investigators discovered the murder weapon, a Ruger Single-Six.

Woman found guilty of murdering her husband after a parrot repeated the victim 2
Glenna Duram. Credit: Michigan Department of Corrections

A parrot was another item that almost materialized as important evidence.

Bud, Martin’s pet parrot, began repeating the phrase “Don’t [expletive] shoot” in his voice after his death. Bud’s new owner, Martin’s ex-wife Christina Keller, noticed this.

“I think it’s a piece of the puzzle,” Keller said to As It Happens.

“I believe it’s possible final remarks.

“I genuinely and firmly believe that most of that stems from that night.”

Keller decided to record the parrot’s unusual phrase after it gave her the chills.

She confessed, “I was terrified.

“I hear yelling, screaming, and fear.”

Woman found guilty of murdering her husband after a parrot repeated the victim 3
Bud the parrot. Credit: WOOD TV8/ABC

There was some evidence to support Keller’s theory at the time, according to Newago County Prosecutor Robert Springstead, but the prosecution ultimately decided against using the parrot in court proceedings.

“You need to talk to that bird,” about four neighbors said as Keller continued to read the police report.

“I know it sounds absurd, but that’s how smart Bud is and how much people thought he saw this,” said Bud.

The state’s Court of Appeals rejected Glenna’s request for a new trial in 2019. Glenna claimed that the prosecution’s use of cellphone data as evidence in the case violated her rights.

The Supreme Court denied her request to appeal the verdict the following year, stating that it was “not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court.”

Glenna is currently serving a life sentence at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Charter Township, Michigan, claims The Cinemaholic.

Similar Stories
The great robbery: 300 million yen robbery

The great robbery: 300 million yen robbery

In 1968, a car driven by bank employees was pulled over by a motorcycle cop claiming the car had been rigged with a bomb. The cop got under the car to “defuse” the device. When the car started to smoke, everybody ran. Then the “cop” just drove the car away. The 300M Yen robbery remains unsolved

Man who robbed bank to get away from wife sentenced to home confinement

Man who robbed bank to get away from wife sentenced to home confinement

In 2017, a 70-year-old man robbed a Kansas City bank, then sat down in the lobby waiting for the Police to arrive stating he’d rather live in jail than with his wife. He was arrested but rather than thrown in a cell he was sentenced to 6 months of home confinement.

The truth behind the murder of Cara Knott

The truth behind the murder of Cara Knott

After the murder of Cara Knott in 1986, a local news station filmed a ride-along segment with a highway patrol officer named Craig Allen Peyer who talked about women’s safety and gave tips on what to do when stranded on the road. That same officer later turned out to be the “Knotts killer.” He was convicted of the crime in 1988.

Michael Crowe Found 'Factually Innocent' In Sister's Murder

Michael Crowe Found 'Factually Innocent' In Sister's Murder

In 1998, 14-year-old Michael Crowe was charged with the murder of his sister. The police started targeting him after he seemed “distant and preoccupied” when his sister’s body was discovered, and during interrogation, police coercion led him to make a false confession. He was later declared factually innocent and the family won a lawsuit of $7.25 million in 2011.

Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal

Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal

In the 1940s and 1950s, Quaker Oats and MIT conducted experiments on radioactive iron and calcium-containing cereal. The diet was part of a study to see if the nutrients in Quaker oatmeal traveled throughout the body. In January 1998, a $1.85 million settlement was reached for 30 victims who came forward.

The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance

The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance

In 1912, a four-year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing on a family trip, 8 months later he was found and reunited with his family. Nearly a century later, DNA testing of his descendants revealed that the child reunited with the Dunbar family was not Bobby, but rather a boy named Charles (Bruce) Anderson who resembled Bobby.

Japanese man accidentally switched at birth grew up in poverty while other baby lived life on privilege

Japanese man accidentally switched at birth grew up in poverty while other baby lived life on privilege

In 2013, a 60-year-old Japanese man found out that he had been accidentally switched at birth. His biological parents were wealthy, but he was given to a struggling, single mother. While the infant who took his place grew up with all the luxuries and became the president of a real estate company, he grew up poor and became a truck driver. He later sued the San Ikukai Hospital in Tokyo that made this awful mistake in 1953.