Which type of evidence uniquely identifies a specific person or thing?

Individual evidence uniquely identifies a specific person or thing due to its distinct characteristics that are not shared with others. This type of evidence can be tied to a particular individual through unique identifiers such as DNA profiles, fingerprints, or specific markings on a bullet fired from a gun.

For instance, DNA is highly individualized; it is unique to each person (except in the case of identical twins) and can definitively link someone to a crime scene. Similarly, fingerprints have unique ridge patterns that are distinct for every individual.

In contrast, class evidence refers to properties that can only narrow down the source to a group of similar items, such as shoe type or tire tread patterns, but does not pinpoint an exact source. Circumstantial evidence relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion, while direct evidence directly links a suspect to a crime without the need for inference. Thus, individual evidence stands out as the most reliable form in definitively identifying a particular person or item.