Michigan woman found guilty of shooting husband to death after parrot witnessed murder

[TomSea]

Michigan woman found guilty of shooting husband to death after parrot witnessed murder
Evening Standard
Tom Powell
20 hrs ago

© Provided by Independent Print Limited
A woman has been found guilty of shooting her husband to death in a murder case witnessed by a parrot.

Glenna Duram, 49, shot her husband Martin five times in front of their pet in 2015, before failing in a suicide attempt.

The parrot, an African Grey named Bud, is alleged to have later repeated the words “Don’t shoot!” in the victim’s voice.

Duram, of Sand Lake, Michigan, was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury. She will be sentenced next month.

Continued: http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/michigan-woman-found-guilty-of-shooting-husband-to-death-after-parrot-witnessed-murder/ar-AAoznwo

Just a chitchat story but couldn't resist, having seen it elsewhere.  I'm having a difficult time believing this but it is being reported by the media elsewhere.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wife-convicted-of-murder-apparently-witnessed-by-pet-parrot/

[ConservativeGranny]

Amazing story. Thanks TomSea.

[DB]

So if you want to frame someone, train a parrot to say something incriminating about them "don't shoot Mr. Simpson!", it can't be cross examined and then do the deed. Seems a bit dangerous legally...

[SunkenCiv]

Glenna Duram, 49, shot her husband Martin five times in front of their pet in 2015, before failing in a suicide attempt. The parrot, an African Grey named Bud, is alleged to have later repeated the words "Don't shoot!" in the victim's voice.

See, her mistake was in using five bullets on her victim, instead of shooting herself first.

[SunkenCiv]

A drunk guy staggered off the casino floor into the bar, set down a couple of shoeboxes with holes punched into them and bound with string, and asked the bartender for a drink.

The bartender replied, "you look like you're in no shape for more alcohol."

The drunk guy said, "wow, that's hard to hear.  Tell you what -- if I show you a trick you've never seen before, you'll *give* me a free drink."

The bartender said, "try me, there is no trick I've never seen, this is Las Vegas!"

The drunk guy pulled the string off one of the boxes, pulled out a burly bright green parrot, took him to the bar's piano, set him on the keys, and stepped away.  The parrot cracked his knuckles and proceeded to hammer out the best boogie woogie anyone present had ever heard.

"Wow!  Here's your free drink!" the bartender said.

The drunk guy nursed that drink for at least a half hour, finally finishing it, and wanting another.

"No, I think you've had enough."

"Hey, if I show you another trick, an even better one..."

The bartender scoffed -- "if you can show me a better trick than that one, you can drink the rest of the night for free!"

The drunk guy opened the second box.  Inside there was a white rat.  The drunk put the rat on a stool next to the piano, adjusted the mike stand, and the rat got up on his hind legs, be-boppin' and scattin' his way through a series of old standards.  The crowd grew, the tip jar overflowed, and the bartender started serving the drunk guy drink after drink.

As the night wore on, a talent agent wandered in to check out the music.  He couldn't believe his eyes!  He went to the bartender and demanded to know, "who owns this act?!?"  The bartender pointed to the drunk guy, now passed out on the floor.

The agent picked up the drunk and shook and slapped him to bring him around.  "I have to buy this act from you!  How much?  How much?"

"They're not for sale, but I'll sell you the rat for $50,000!"

"I'll take it!"  The agent produced $50,000, in cash, from his hidden money belt, picked up the white rat, stuck him in the box, tied it up, and left with less money and a bill of sale signed by the drunk guy and witnessed by the bartender.

The bartender said, "it's none of my business, but you're out of your mind, breaking up a million dollar act for a measly fifty grand!"

The drunk guy just shook his head.

"Relax.  The parrot is a ventriloquist."

[endicom]

A drunk guy staggered off the casino floor into the bar, set down a couple of shoeboxes with holes punched into them and bound with string, and asked the bartender for a drink.

The bartender replied, "you look like you're in no shape for more alcohol."

The drunk guy said, "wow, that's hard to hear.  Tell you what -- if I show you a trick you've never seen before, you'll *give* me a free drink."

The bartender said, "try me, there is no trick I've never seen, this is Las Vegas!"

The drunk guy pulled the string off one of the boxes, pulled out a burly bright green parrot, took him to the bar's piano, set him on the keys, and stepped away.  The parrot cracked his knuckles and proceeded to hammer out the best boogie woogie anyone present had ever heard.

"Wow!  Here's your free drink!" the bartender said.

The drunk guy nursed that drink for at least a half hour, finally finishing it, and wanting another.

"No, I think you've had enough."

"Hey, if I show you another trick, an even better one..."

The bartender scoffed -- "if you can show me a better trick than that one, you can drink the rest of the night for free!"

The drunk guy opened the second box.  Inside there was a white rat.  The drunk put the rat on a stool next to the piano, adjusted the mike stand, and the rat got up on his hind legs, be-boppin' and scattin' his way through a series of old standards.  The crowd grew, the tip jar overflowed, and the bartender started serving the drunk guy drink after drink.

As the night wore on, a talent agent wandered in to check out the music.  He couldn't believe his eyes!  He went to the bartender and demanded to know, "who owns this act?!?"  The bartender pointed to the drunk guy, now passed out on the floor.

The agent picked up the drunk and shook and slapped him to bring him around.  "I have to buy this act from you!  How much?  How much?"

"They're not for sale, but I'll sell you the rat for $50,000!"

"I'll take it!"  The agent produced $50,000, in cash, from his hidden money belt, picked up the white rat, stuck him in the box, tied it up, and left with less money and a bill of sale signed by the drunk guy and witnessed by the bartender.

The bartender said, "it's none of my business, but you're out of your mind, breaking up a million dollar act for a measly fifty grand!"

The drunk guy just shook his head.

"Relax.  The parrot is a ventriloquist."

The joke needs a Neanderthal. Or a Denisovan. Or Jill Stein.

@SunkenCiv

[ConservativeGranny]

So if you want to frame someone, train a parrot to say something incriminating about them "don't shoot Mr. Simpson!", it can't be cross examined and then do the deed. Seems a bit dangerous legally...

Good point!

[240B]

See, her mistake was in using five bullets on her victim, instead of shooting herself first.

Her mistake was not using the fifth bullet on the parrot.


Hard to believe this could be true. There are dozens of 'parrot jokes' similar to this story. And the legalities of it seem very dubious. Why wouldn't the parrot imitate the sound of the gunshots, or anything else that would have been said? Why would the parrot pick only those words?


And there is no way to know when the parrot may have been trained to say this or why. Some bird acts have the bird trained to say, Don't shoot!, when the owner points a finger at them. Appeal will fix this if it is even true at all.

[SunkenCiv]

Hard to believe this could be true. There are dozens of 'parrot jokes' similar to this story. And the legalities of it seem very dubious...

Clearly you've never been to Sand Lake, or met anyone from there.  ;)

[mountaineer]

See, her mistake was in using five bullets on her victim, instead of shooting herself first.

Indeed. That whole "failing in a suicide attempt" business is a bit hard to fathom. I would think if one truly wanted to commit suicide, one would do whatever it takes.

[SunkenCiv]

The joke needs a Neanderthal. Or a Denisovan. Or Jill Stein.

That's a cruel characterization of the Denisovans and Neandertals.