This week, we’re talking about evidence. Fingerprints, Ring doorbell camera footage, witness testimony, DNA, all those clues that eventually lead investigators to perpetrators – and alleged perpetrators of crimes.

Finding the evidence and using it to piece together how crimes were committed is complicated in and of itself. Things get even more complicated in the courtroom, where prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and jurors pore over it. And administrative issues like DNA testing backlogs can snarl the process.

We’ll cover several cases today where we can see how evidence, or the lack of evidence, has played a role in the search for justice.

We’ll also focus on one type of evidence in particular -- DNA evidence – and efforts to improve how it’s collected and how it’s tested.