FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

The VICE Guide to Right Now

A Murder Victim's Parents Say Cops Should Use a Foul-Mouthed Parrot as a Witness

The only one who knows who shot Michigan man Martin Duram is a parrot who apparently learned the phrase "Don't fucking shoot!"
Photo via Flickr user Keith Allison

After Michigan man Martin Duram was killed in May 2015, police suspected his wife Glenna of carrying out a botched murder-suicide. She was shot in the head during the incident, and there were notes on the scene that were described by one family member as "suicide letters."

But as the Independent reports, Duram's family now says there's a witness to the killing who was never interviewed—an African gray parrot who was filmed saying "Don't fucking shoot!" in a pretty distressed voice.

Lillian, Martin Duram's mother, and her husband, Charles, insist Bud was always mimicking Martin and Glenna, and would like the police to consider using him as a witness. In an interview with a local TV station, Lillian said, "That bird picks up everything and anything, and it's got the filthiest mouth around."

"In my mind, it's something that he's heard, definitely heard before," she said. "And if it's fresh in his mind, he might even say it more now."

The couple fought often, and Duram's parents had previously said that it was an argument that had gotten out of hand. But apparently only the parrot knows for sure.

READ: The World's Only Parrot-Fronted Death Metal Band Just Released a New Album