Life Imitates CSI

Jacob Sullum | February 21, 2003

A cockatoo named Bird provided crucial evidence in a recent Texas murder case. "Bird went wild as he saw his owner beaten and slashed with knives," The Washington Times reports, "pecking one of the attackers mercilessly before the cockatoo was stabbed and killed." Blood drawn by the bird and left at the scene "provided a DNA link to the victim's neighbor," who was convicted this week and sentenced to life in prison.

Who would have thought that a cockatoo could be the key to convicting a murderer? Fred had better hope that Robert Blake didn't see the story.