Jury Convicts Woman of Husband's Murder After Pet Parrot Recalls Voice Screaming 'Don't Shoot'
A Michigan woman was convicted Wednesday for the 2015 murder of her husband one year after his pet parrot was video taped recalling an apparent argument between two people during which one screamed, "Don't (expletive) shoot."
Glenna Duram, 49, was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2015 death of her husband, Martin Duram, 46, at their Sand Lake home, Fox 17 said.
Court documents revealed that Martin was found shot five times with a .22 caliber handgun while his wife was shot just once, behind the right ear. It was later revealed that Glenna failed at a murder-suicide triggered by mounting debts resulting from a serious gambling addiction which she hid from her husband. On the day of the shooting, the couple's home was set to be auctioned as Glenna failed to pay the mortgage.
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According to the Detroit News, the Durams were married for 11 years and had grown children from previous marriages. Marty was left disabled by a 1995 car accident that "jarred his brain and shattered the left side of his body." He was unable to recall details of his life such as the birth of his children and his earlier marriage.
Glenna was being paid $3,153 a month to take care of Marty and he also received $1,100 a month in disability.
The case pit both Marty's and Glenna's families against each other, resulting in death threats and a number of other incidents.
Despite evidence such as a suicide note left behind by Glenna and the discovery of a murder weapon, police did not charge Glenna until a video of Martin's pet African grey parrot recalling the argument became public.
Bud's voice changes back and forth during the 2-minute video in which it said: "Shut up" and "Get your (expletive) over here." The bird continued: "Don't (expletive) shoot."
"I feel hurt that both families had to go through this, 'cause we both used to be close and go camping together," Lillian Duram, Marty's mother, told Fox 17.
"It just isn't good; just isn't good. Two years is a long time to wait for justice. To sit there and watch her be emotionless when she sees the pictures, kind of hurt too," she said of Glenna who denied killing Marty.
Glenna's defense attorney, Mark Miller, said they were considering appealing the verdict.
"Obviously we respect the decision of the jury, that's our legal system, we have the greatest legal system in the world," he said. "It's not the result that we wanted but we respect the decision of the jury."
Duram will be sentenced Aug. 28 and faces life in prison.
