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What is the difference between a suspect and a person of interest?

I hear these terms used frequently on the news. I know what a suspect is, but what exactly is meant by a person of interest? What is needed to make them a suspect?

Public Comments

1. a person of interest is someone that may know someone who is related to the crime. A suspect is someone who might have actually comitted the actual crime itself.
2. A person of interest is someone whom the police want to question in order to determine if they know any details of the crime. This does not necessarily mean thaye suspect the person commited that crime. A suspect is someone that the police feel they have enough information or evidence on to tie the person to the crime.
3. A person of interest could be: -A witness who may have info on a suspect -A friend, neighbor, co-worker or family member of a suspect -Someone who might later be considered a suspect -One of many possible suspects -One who seems suspicious, but there is no evidence to back that up -Someone who may have paid someone else to commit a crime (who might later also become a suspect) Edit: Evidence or witnesses would probably be needed to make them a suspect.
4. A person of interest may know something about the crime - they may have been a witness or an accomplice or have helped in some way or know something important, but the police don't have enough information to claim this person actually did the crime. To be a suspect, the police have to have reasonable cause to believe they may have commited the crime.