[Leaning Right]

I’ve thought long and hard about it, but can’t reach a valid conclusion.

Moral issues aside, IMHO it's best not to tamper with evidence. As you noted earlier, you never know where a witness could be. A quick look around won't do the job. You could very easily miss someone looking out of a window from across the street.

Plus you'll be dealing with trained and experienced detectives at some point. Those folks have seen all the tricks. They are not stupid!

Get caught tampering with evidence, and it would be very easy for a jury to disbelieve anything else you might have to say.

[Carriage Hill]

After thinking about it, tampering with evidence felony is something I just wouldn't do; it'd have to be a righteous and justified shooting, since we have protection here in PA.

That said, I've been robbed/shot once in 1974, and survived, and it won't happen again.