Sweary parrot may be called as witness in US murder trial

A PET parrot by the name of Bud may be a key witness in a possible murder case, with a dead man’s ex-wife convinced that he is repeating something he heard just before a fatal shooting.

Martin Durham, 45, was shot five times at his home in Ensley Township, Michigan in May 2015, with his wife Glenna receiving a head wound but surviving.

The African grey parrot is now owned by Durham’s ex-wife Christina Keller, who says that Bud has repeated: “don’t ******* shoot,” in the dead man’s voice.

Newaygo county prosecutor Robert Springstead is far from convinced, however, telling reporters that he is unaware of any legal precedent for such a witness being called.

Springstead is concerned about what would happen when the judge asks the witness to raise his or her right hand: “To a parrot, are you raising a wing, a foot?”

He also claims that he has not yet heard the parrot’s words. “I tried to on my smartphone and online. I couldn’t get the audio feed to work,” he said.

For the time being Durham’s death remains under investigation, but Springstead says it does not appear to have been suicide.

“As soon as I receive the investigation, I will make a charging decision,” he said. “I expect that to happen in the next few weeks.”