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Testimony begins in Newaygo County murder trial

Posted at 5:56 PM, Jul 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-10 17:56:25-04

WHITE CLOUD, Mich. – Day one of testimony for Glenna Duram, the wife accused of murdering her husband in 2015, began Monday.

Roughly 12 of the estimated 60 witnesses took the stand Monday in Newaygo County.  Family members tell FOX 17 News the most difficult part of the day was seeing a picture of Marty Duram dead on his bedroom floor.

“We need justice for Marty, the killer needs to be in prison for the rest of her life,” said Duram’s ex-wife, Christina Keller, who was forced to wait outside the court after making the witness list. “I was apparently kicked out. I’m on the witness list but I’m not legally told that I’m a witness for the defense as of yet.”

Monday’s testimony included first responders and Michigan State Police Troopers discussing the day Marty’s body was found inside his bedroom.

“Mr. Duram was laying next to the bed on his left side with what appeared to be a gunshot wound in his right side,” said Matthew Baczewski, a first responder with the Sand Land Fire Dept.

Firefighters were first on scene after fighting a structure fire just two doors down from the Duram house. Witnesses say a neighbor frantically asked them for help after finding Duram dead in his home.

He was shot five times including one would to the head. His wife Glenna was also on the floor with a gunshot but survived.

“We seen the shell casing on the bed and decided it was time to leave,” said Baczewski.

The defense has said the firefighters in the home may have tainted the crime scene, indicating in opening statements much of their case will focus on missteps they say were made by investigators, including a potential mishandling of suicide letters found by the victim’s children.

Testimony is expected to continue well into next week.