Could a non-channeler have done the deed?
The use of poison as well as the use of physical weapons to kill the two women suggests that a non-channeler was the culprit. However, a closer examination of the facts leads to the conclusion that, while possible, it is unlikely a non-channeler could have been responsible for the murders. We will assume for now that crimsonthorn either deadens the ability to channel, like forkroot, or (more likely) that Adeleas was so far gone under the influence of the drug by the time the murders actually occurred that channeling was impossible. (There’s also the argument that even if the ability was there despite the crimsonthorn, the common belief shared by most Aes Sedai concerning the connections between channeling and gesturing would mean that once paralyzed Adeleas could not channel, since she could not move.) Given that, the only way a non-channeler could have committed the murder is if Ispan also drank the tea, and therefore was also unable to channel. Otherwise, how would a non-channeler ha
