Which item would be considered physical evidence?

• A. A witness's testimony.
• B. A photograph from the scene.
• C. A suspect's statement.
• D. A broken knife recovered at a burglary scene.

Answer: (D)

Physical evidence is any tangible item connected to a crime that can be handled, stored, and analyzed to establish facts. A broken knife recovered at a burglary scene is a classic example because it’s an actual object that investigators can preserve and test—fingerprints, DNA, tool marks, and other analyses can link it to a suspect or confirm what happened at the scene.

In contrast, a witness’s testimony and a suspect’s statement are statements from people and are classified as testimonial evidence; they rely on memory and interpretation rather than physical manipulation. A photograph from the scene is a visual record and is typically considered documentary or demonstrative evidence used to illustrate or support facts, not the actual material item involved in the crime.