context: The government's entire case consists of four pieces of circumstantial evidence: (1) a hat with multiple DNA matches worn by Bonner was also worn by one of the robbers; (2) Bonner's wallet, discovered in the alleged getaway car; (3) phone records showing calls from Bonner's cell phone to Ms. Edmonds and Mr. Ruth the night after the robbery; and (4) a separate phone record showing a call from a nearby gas station to Ms. Edmonds. While it is possible to convict a defendant solely on circumstantial evidence, in cases where the identity of the perpetrator is in dispute, usually there is some specific "identity" evidence or uncontroverted physical evidence that links the defendant to the scene of the crime.
citation_a.signal: see
citation_a.identifier: 507 F.3d 245, 245
citation_a.parenthetical: evidence of identity included evidence of past attempts to kill victim, letters instructing defendant to kill victim, and a taped conversation in which defendant was confronted about murdering victim and did not deny it
citation_a.sentence: See, e.g., United States v. Warren, 593 F.3d 540, 547 (7th Cir.2010) (defendant was found in possession of stolen money); United States v. Kittrell, 269 Fed.Appx. 338, 342 (4th Cir.2008) (evidence included fingerprints, an in-court identification, and handwriting expert when DNA evidence was inconclusive); Foster, 507 F.3d at 245 (evidence of identity included evidence of past attempts to kill victim, letters instructing defendant to kill victim, and a taped conversation in which defendant was confronted about murdering victim and did not deny it); cf. United States v. Hinton, 366 Fed.Appx. 481, 484 (4th Cir.2010) (relying on eyewitness evidence to show that there was sufficient evidence to implicate defendant).
citation_b.signal: cf.
citation_b.identifier: 366 Fed.Appx. 481, 484
citation_b.parenthetical: relying on eyewitness evidence to show that there was sufficient evidence to implicate defendant
citation_b.sentence: See, e.g., United States v. Warren, 593 F.3d 540, 547 (7th Cir.2010) (defendant was found in possession of stolen money); United States v. Kittrell, 269 Fed.Appx. 338, 342 (4th Cir.2008) (evidence included fingerprints, an in-court identification, and handwriting expert when DNA evidence was inconclusive); Foster, 507 F.3d at 245 (evidence of identity included evidence of past attempts to kill victim, letters instructing defendant to kill victim, and a taped conversation in which defendant was confronted about murdering victim and did not deny it); cf. United States v. Hinton, 366 Fed.Appx. 481, 484 (4th Cir.2010) (relying on eyewitness evidence to show that there was sufficient evidence to implicate defendant).