A parrot's words could be used in a murder trial

An African grey parrot.
(Image credit: iStock)

Key evidence in a Michigan murder trial could come courtesy of the victim's 19-year-old African grey parrot, Bud.

Prosecutor Robert Springstead said he is studying the bird's words to see if they can be admissible in court. "It's an interesting novelty and it's been a great opportunity for me to learn about African parrots," he told the Detroit Free Press. Bud's owner, Martin Duram, was shot and killed in May 2015, and ever since, the parrot has repeated the phrase, "Don't f—ing shoot," The Guardian reports. Duram's ex-wife, Christina Keller, now owns Bud, and she told WOOD TV he is "using Marty's voice. It imprinted in his brain, and he can't let it go." Duram's wife, Glenna, is on trial for the murder, and she survived a self-inflicted gunshot to the head sustained on the day he was killed.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.