The Case of the Bird-Brained Witness

Posted on by

By Elaine Viets

   The witness to the murder could repeat every word the killer and the victim said during the fatal confrontation.  The witness was alive, but not human.

          What was the witness?

          A parrot. An African grey to be exact.

          While researching A Scarlet Death, my new Angela Richman, death investigator mystery, I learned about parrots as murder witnesses. This information has been compiled from news stories.

          Consider the 2017 case of the woman in Michigan convicted of her husband’s murder, thanks in part to his parrot. Police first thought someone had murdered the husband and tried to kill the wife. The woman survived being shot in the head. But the parrot repeated the husband’s last words. The parrot said, “Don’t f—-ing shoot!” in the husband’s voice. Turns out the woman murdered her husband and then tried to kill herself. The details of the shooting were remarkably vivid, as reported by the parrot. It was an African grey.

          In 2018, another parrot witnessed the rape and murder of a woman in Argentina. Her parrot repeated the whole terrible crime, saying, “No, please. Let me go,” which investigators believe were the last words of the woman.

          My favorite case was the parrot who knew too much. In the mid-1990s, Echo was put into witness protection. The New Orleans parrot belonged to a crime boss who was suspected of child abuse, among other crimes. Late at night, the bird would sometimes cry like a child, then sound like it was moaning in pain, and then make a noise like whack, or thwack! as if someone was being hit. The bird had to be hidden because it knew too much and wouldn’t shut up.

        When an animal seriously harms or kills a person, it’s often put down. But in past centuries, the beast was given a trial.

          Pigs for instance. Whether you think pigs are cute little animals, or pork chops on the hoof, they have a bad reputation. People who live in farm country know the stories of farmers who had heart attacks out by the pig pen and were eaten by their animals.

          In the Middle Ages, pigs were tried for murder. In 1386, a sow mauled a child so badly, it died. The pig was arrested, imprisoned and stood trial for murder. The homicidal hog was found guilty and executed by hanging.

Weirdly enough, the sow was dressed in men’s clothes when it was hanged. There’s no record if the defendant was eaten.

          In my new book, A Scarlet Death, Buddy, a murder victim’s African grey parrot seems to recount details of its owner’s brutal death.

          Chouteau Forest death investigator Angela Richman and attorney Montgomery Bryant are discussing the parrot’s testimony over dinner.

          “Let’s go back to the parrot,” Angela said. “Any chance that talking birds will be allowed to testify in court? They’re very smart.”

          “Too many problems,” the lawyer said. “How do we know Buddy the parrot actually heard the victim being murdered?”

          “Because of what he said. And Buddy’s words match the facts.” Angela speared a tender piece of chicken breast.

   “But what if we don’t know the facts?” Monty asked. “Or what if Buddy is imitating something he heard on TV? People could be convicted on the word of a parrot that watched CSI.”

          “But Buddy said the killer’s name.”

          “He did. How do we know the parrot didn’t just drop that name in there because he heard his owner say it on the phone?”

          “OK, I get it,” l said. “But I wish we knew what animals were saying to us, don’t you?”

          “Some of them, like cats and dogs.”

            Monty finished his last bite of burger and said, “However, I’d just as soon not know what this cow was saying on the way to the slaughterhouse.”

           So, did Buddy the parrot help the police solve his owner’s murder? You’ll have to read A Scarlet Death to find out.

Enter my contest to win a free ebook of A Scarlet Death. Send your name and email address to WinEVbooks@aol.com. Contest closes midnight, May 31.

 

 

28 thoughts on “The Case of the Bird-Brained Witness”

  1. There was a Perry Mason episode called “The Case of the Perfured Parrot” that had a bird witness. The voice of the parrot was provided by Mel “Bugs Bunny” Blanc.

    It’s an interesting evidentiary question whether a parrot’s “testimony” would be admissible! How would cross examination go?

    “Isn’t it true the State has promised you a box of crackers in return for your testimony?”

    • Before it was adapted for television, “The Case of the Perjured Parrot” was a Perry Mason novel, published in 1939, and probably my favorite of the lot.

      At the coroner’s inquest, the so-called eyewitness parrot squawks: “Put down that gun, Helen … don’t shoot … Squawk … Squawk … My God, you’ve shot me.”

      Mason protests to having the parrot’s words entered into the record, for the bird has not been sworn in as a witness; and if it is sworn in then he (Mason) should have the right to cross-examine.

  3. Very interesting, Elaine. All kinds of ways that could be used in novel.

    I just googled the cost of an African gray parrot – $1000 – $1500 average. I might start saving up and send my worst enemy an anonymous gift. Hmm.

    I liked the cliff hanger to your post. I turned the page and signed up for your drawing.

    Have a great day!

  4. Glad you signed up for the contest, Steve. African greys are supposed to be the smartest creatures of the parrot word, and good talkers.

  5. Love the concept for your new book, Elaine. Animals have far more capabilities than we realize. Sue, our resident corvid expert will probably have more to add to the discussion.

    I’d read about trying animals for crimes in bygone days but dressing up the defendant in a man’s clothes is a new one. Was that his defense attorney’s idea to make him appear more respectable during trial?

    Looking forward to reading A Scarlet Death.

  6. Thanks, Debbie. Apparently, the sow was dressed in men’s clothes when it was hanged. I guess they couldn’t bring themselves to hang a woman.

  7. I just finished Scarlett Death. A great one. The Angela Richmond books are always fun since I may work in an area that looks (and acts) like Chateau Forest.

  8. A burglar goes to this house late at night and starts robbing it. He is just getting going when he hears a voice say “Jesus is watching you.”

    He stops for a minute, but soon continues on. Again he hears “Jesus is watching you.”

    He stops again, but soon continues on. Again he hears “Jesus is watching you.”

    He discovers the voice belongs to a large parrot. He smiles to himself and continues on, a third time the parrot says the same thing.

    Frustrated the burglar turns around and says, “Be quiet you dumb parrot! What’s your name anyhow?”

    The parrot replies, “Clarence.”

    The burglar laughs, “What kinda people name their bird Clarence?”

    “The same kind who name their Rottweiler Jesus!”

    Have a good day everybody.

  9. Fascinating post, Elaine. A parrot’s ability to mimic speech could certainly be damning, but this post also got me thinking about other, wordless witness from dogs and cats, or horses. But nothing beats a bird repeating the words of the killer or the victim.

  12. Many years ago my son and his wife acquired an African Grey they named Grayson. While they were vacationing in Hawaii, I made a daily visit to feed the dogs and see after Grayson’s needs. A couple of Christmases later I had just arrived at their house and sat down on a stair. Behind me, in a clear imitation of my teenage granddaughter’s voice, Grayson said, “Hi, Grampa!”

    We have many such stories, but that’s my favorite because I hadn’t seen Grayson for more than a year.

    Greys have the mentality of a four-year-old human child, but they pick up sounds and words must faster (Grayson likes to make the sound of a hoodie zipper). The astounding part is their ability to associate words and phrases with people and objects. It’s entirely possible that a grey bearing witness to human violence would recount the scene with reliable accuracy. They are very sensitive to their surroundings and pick up on the whole gamut of human emotion. Their human owners have to be careful to remember there’s a living, breathing “Alexa” in the room with them.

    Love your Angela Richman books, Elaine. Looking forward to reading Scarlet Death.

  14. Great post, Elaine. Made me realize I should never own a parrot – imagine the trouble I could get in when I read the murder scene of my manuscript aloud.

  16. Wonderful book! (I don’t need to win). Congratulations to whoever does.
    Reminded of a parrot in the zoo in NOLA. I said, “Pretty bird.” It said, “Bad Bird.”
    There is surely a story there.

  18. Oh, Elaine, you brought back such a precious memory with this. When I was a child, my mom said she wanted to write mysteries, but she never did. Once, though, she told me a plot she had, where a mystery was solved by what the parrot said. She’s a big reason I write mysteries. Thank you!!

Comments are closed.