Appellate courts don't evaluate evidence directly; they instead rely upon the trial court judge's interpretation of evidence. As such, their written decisions are often not helpful for determing whether a trial court's judge's findings of fact were reasonable.
Courts say a lot of things. Some courts even say there is a "wall" between church and State, but they fail to tell us exactly where it is.
Evidence that cannot be produced is not evidence at all, just an assertion.