Parrot Speaks Victim’s Last Words
MICHIGAN – A parrot mimicking a murder scene helped revive a case that led to Glenna Duram’s conviction for killing her husband in 2015.
On May 12, 2015, Glenna Duram shot and killed her husband, Marty Duram, at their home. Marty suffered five gunshot wounds. Glenna then attempted to take her own life by shooting herself in the head, but she survived and was taken to the hospital.
At first, police considered the incident a double shooting by an unknown assailant, especially since Glenna also had a gunshot wound. However, a deeper investigation revealed that Glenna had written several suicide notes to her family. The couple was heavily in debt, and reports showed that Glenna had a serious gambling problem, which led to their financial downfall. On the day of the shooting, their house was set to be auctioned due to foreclosure.
Despite the evidence pointing to Glenna, she denied any involvement, claiming memory loss and insisting she would never harm her husband. For a year, no arrests were made—until a surprising piece of evidence emerged from an unlikely source: a parrot.
Bud, an African grey parrot once owned by Marty, began mimicking a heated argument followed by the phrase, “Don’t [expletive] shoot!” Marty’s ex-wife, Christina Keller, recorded the parrot and gave the footage to the media, hoping to draw attention to the case. Though prosecutors clarified that the parrot would not be used as a witness, the renewed public interest helped accelerate the investigation.
Authorities later found the murder weapon—a Ruger Single-Six revolver—hidden in the couple’s sofa. Forensic analysis showed that Glenna had searched online about the firearm a day before the murder. In July 2017, a jury found Glenna guilty of murder, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Her appeal was dismissed in 2024.
Today, Glenna remains incarcerated at the Huron Valley Women’s Correctional Facility in Michigan. Meanwhile, Bud is still being cared for by Christina Keller. His mimicry served as a haunting reminder of the crime and played a key role in reviving attention to a case that nearly went cold.
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