Perhaps you're not just familar with the various ways Americans and Canadians use this expression.

The first definition you give doesn't apply to the context. RJ could have used it this way if, for example, he was explaining to someone how Asmodean ended up with Rand, ie: "the guy is a road kill. He thought he could play with the big fish and got squashed between Lanfear and Rand".

It's the murder he called a "road kill", not Asmodean.

That's not what the expression would mean when you describe a murder as a "road kill".

He's no "political road kill" either. That's for people in politics and in this case the expression means to compare the weakness of the animal in comparison to the truck/car coming at it... You get ruined, because you're much too weak for your opponents, or because your were a nuisance in their way.

All these expressions are derived from metaphor derived from the literal meaning behind it: a little animal that's in the wrong place at the wrong time and get killed by a coming car that didn't see it or can't stop, before the animal manages to jump away.

In the context RJ used it to describe a murder, not its motive,(incl. the fact he also called it "a murder of opportunity", "road kill" implies the killer wasn't in the room waiting for Asmodean. Asmodean opened the wrong door at the wrong time and surprised someone who would kill him given the chance. He was in the way of that person. It's someone who killed Asmodean first and above all because he couldn't let him live. Most likely, it's someone Asmodean would have killed, capture or otherwise put in big trouble if that person didn't kill him first. It either that has to do with who that person is, or what he/she was doing there, or both combined.

The other way to interpret it doesn't apply, as it contradicts the fact it's a murder of opportunity, and the other quote about opportunity being more important than motive. It would be to say RJ meant Asmodean was in the way of bigger fish who took him out for this reason. It would explain the motive. That would point to whoever wanted Taim near Rand. But as I said, this can't be because it contradicts other quotes, so RJ meant almost literally a "road kill": Asmodean got at the wrong place at the wrong time.



Of course, but here's a more down to earth way to interpret this:

a) The timing is important. There's not much to puzzle out about the pacing of the Asmodean scene (except to conclude it has to be a murder of opportunity, which RJ has confirmed). What we know about the timing is that the murder happened a few hours after Rahvin's death and a few more after Lanfear's disappearance in Cairhien. It also happens hours after Moghedien disappeared. Who would have a reason to be in the palace that very day, at that time? Graendal, Sammael, Demandred. Perhaps Mesaana and Semirhage as well. More than one of these people may have come to Caemlyn (Demandred did, apparently - visited spies of his anyway), just one of them killed Asmodean. Graendal has the best clues attached to her as far as curiosity or "need to know" goes, because we know Asmodean knew her hiding place, she was involved with Rahvin and the plan to bring Rand's attention of Sammael,she's learned about Lanfear at the docks, and Rahvin's death, and she's convinced Asmodean died that day as well, and Moghedien, who miss the meeting she had scheduled with Graendal that same day. Sammael has the least, because he claims not to know about these things. The motive of the others to come to Caemlyn is weaker, because unlike Graendal and Sammael they were not involved. For them, it would be desire to know more than need to know.

b) Opportunity over motive.

You don't seem to understand what this really means, because it undermines your theory. Slayer coming to the palace to kill Asmodean on someone's orders isn't "opportunity over motive". The motive would be the only drive behind his presence in Caemlyn, the opportunity he merely created by tracking down Asmodean's comings and goings. Your theory is the very opposite of the meaning of "opportunity over motive". It's the description of a manhunt, an assassination. Opportunity over motive means the killer wasn't there to kill Asmodean, and wouldn't have gone out of his way to ambush or killed Asmodean if the opportunity to kill him didn't fall right in the killer's lap, that place, that day. It means if Slayer did it, he wasn't in the palace to kill Asmodean but for another purpose or mission, and he did kill Asmodean only because the opportunity suddenly presented itself. The problem is that RJ also confirmed that the Dark One never gave the order to anyone to kill Asmodean on sight, so Slayer would not have taken it upon himself to kill Asmodean, and we don't even actually know if Isam ever learned that Asmodean had betrayed the Shadow. The defection of a Chosen, that even such a thing is possible, is hardly the sort of thing the Shadow would tell to the underlings - even the fact Cyndane and Moghedien are being punished is kept secret from the other Chosen themselves... Most likely Isam doesn't know, only the other Chosen do, and perhaps not even all of them. Lanfear came up with that story (which she invented. She's in truth the traitor) and told Sammael, Graendal and Rahvin. Sammael and Rahvin would definitely not tell this to Demandred, which means not to Mesaana and Semirhage either. Graendal? Maybe, maybe not. There's not much incentive to share the news, given that taking out Asmodean could be rewarded by Shai'tan. Lanfear has zero motive to spread the news beyond her trio... the last thing she wanted was Demandred and company to come kill the teacher she's worked hard to provide to Rand. She told the three solely because she wanted them to agree to work together - and she made clear she had this under control and kept a close eye on Rand, and could get near him. Of course, Demandred learned straight from Shai'tan that Asmodean had betrayed (and he told Semirhage and Mesaana), but that's after the murder. But there is no evidence at all that Moghedien learned about Asmodean and his betrayal, or that Aran'gar and Osan'gar were told. There's not even evidence Moridin knows. They most likely all know about it (and Moridin may even have forced the true story out of Cyndane), but there's no evidence.


The rest of your theory as it stands right now is full of holes:

a) The text gives no clue that Asmodean could have been spied on or followed. It actually read as if this possibility is most, most unlikely

b) You misinterpret "road kill", "murder of opportunity" and other aspects of the RJ quotes.

c) You would be hard pressed to show us a clue that Slayer is the killer in the next two books, when RJ said there were clues in there.

d) You are one of the only person who believes any of the Chosen, wholly arrogant, would be humble enough to think Slayer would be a good choice to hunt and kill one of them. They would probably all laugh at the very notion. Most people who believe Slayer did it don't know RJ said the DO didn't order anyone to kill Asmodean (he would most likely have mindtrapped him if he could have..)

e) You create a whole ellipse in which Slayer brings Asmodean to TAR to die, when the text doesn't even open a door for anything like this to have taken place. As it reads, Asmodean died where he stood, and his death scream hung in the air.