People die of natural causes every day, but sometimes there is foul play involved and a death turns into a murder case. When police then start searching for a suspect, they will likely base their conclusion on a few key pieces of evidence. Of course, citizens trust that law enforcement will handle evidence carefully and adhere to standards of due diligence in building a case against any one potential suspect. According to Time, the city of Chicago has one of the highest murder rates in the nation, with nearly 28 homicides for every 100,000 residents. Those suspected to be guilty of or involved in a murder should be aware of the following three kinds of evidence that law enforcement may use against them.
Eyewitness accounts
Eyewitness accounts are some of the most commonly cited pieces of evidence in murder charges and many other criminal cases, too. Of course, if somebody can place you at the scene of the crime when a murder occurred, it can be particularly damning to your case. Eyewitnesses are often influenced by law enforcement, though, and susceptible to inaccurate memory.
Traces of DNA
DNA evidence is often characterized as a foolproof method of indicting a suspect. If your fingerprints, hair or other physical traces show up at the scene of the crime, it will certainly make it look as though you are guilty of involvement. As with any other kind of evidence, however, DNA is hardly objective–it can fall victim to manipulation, mishandling or misconstruction, so account for these possibilities.
Circumstantial evidence
Perhaps the most dangerous kind of evidence introduced in a courtroom is that of circumstance. This refers to any facts or suppositions used to support a tenuous conclusion. If a suspect made a phone call to a victim, for example, the prosecution may argue that this is evidence of involvement. It is crucial that you have a skilled legal representative to defend against such attacks.