Hey! I think rj is Stilesi rewatched the first episode and I stopped when I saw Lisbon look at where the suspects where, Haffner, Mcallister and either Smith or Stiles where in transit at the time and I don't think they would leave there phone on a bus or anything, Kirkland was too far away, yes he could have left his phone but the next episode kind of rules him out, so that leaves Bertram, and Stiles or Smith , I'm not sure which one is S1 and S2 but I think smith is too short first of all and is overweight and Stiles is the only one it could be because in the second episode of season 6 we clearly see Bertram is on his phone when he arrives, so I think RJ is Stiles!

RJ is a character that a group of people created which Bret Stiles leading tp this group other than Visualize. So everyone using same voice transformation machine and make the same sound and there are a lot of Red Johns ,this is a  kind of V for Vendetta character.

http://www.spoilertv.com/2013/10/the-mentalist-episode-606-fire-and.html

partridge and kirkland are not in list of actors. Strange, no? for me, ALL OF 5 REMAINING SUSPECTS ARE RED JOHN. RJ looks to me more like a society than one person only. The 5 remaining suspects complete each other to form the being RJ. sry for the bad english!

We tend to think of Red John as a serial killer, who also has a cult of followers associated with him.  What if that's backward from the way we *should* be looking at him?

What if we should think of him primarily as a cult leader, who also has a string of killings associated with him?

Is it possible that Red John is more puppet master than slasher?  What if the killings (or most of the killings), and the other "legwork" involved in being Red John (possibly including things like having a relationship with Rosalind Harker or visiting Sophie Miller), are actually carried out by his "disciples" (via manipulation, coercion, enticement, or even hypnosis)?

I think this scenario has the advantages of both the "Red John is a group" and the "Red John is one person" theories.  Yes, a group is involved in "being" Red John -- and actually, that's something we've all pretty much accepted, but maybe just stopped short of thinking that the underlings could have been the ones performing the killings themselves (in at least some cases).  But only one person is the one calling the shots.  Only one person is "really" Red John.

So maybe (for example) Timothy Carter could tell Patrick what his wife and daughter smelled like, because maybe Carter was the person who actually killed them, but did so under the control of Red John.  Perhaps he was Red John's "murder weapon," if you will.

When you think of it in this light, many of the supporting details for some of the other suspects fade away (age, height, etc.), and Bret Stiles starts looking an awful lot more feasible.  He certainly has the money to fund such an operation, and knowledge of the mental manipulation and domination required to carry it out...

I submitted a theory a few minutes ago and I have more to add looking at what I said Tyger Tyger I think stands for two people same name one with one t and the other with two.  I think Bret Stiles is Brett Partridges father and it would make sense in so many ways for starters everyone brings up the other poem by william Blake connected to tyger tyger it's called the Lamb and what if one is the bad and the other good it would answer why someone like Partridge is so powerful and Stiles said that you know it is a form of love and Stiles likes Jane but Partridge seems not to.  I still think Brett Partridge is Red John but I think Bret Stiles is connected some how father and son and their names and the Tyger Tyger mean something I know it doesn't have much Merit that's why I'm posting it because people on here have good theories and might be able to connect this more and I hope so.  So just to be clear I still think it is Partridge but Stiles and him are conncected and Stiles got L Martin out of a Federal Prison I think he can fake his own sons death.  Please help me prove this.  Thanks again for reading.Jtalent

Hi everyone

I posted a crazy little theory yesterday that, to my surprise, got a lot of positive feedback and support.  But I was not very clear on some points so I want to clarify some of the parts of this theory. I honestly do not believe that this will actually be the case. But this is just for fun so please don't judge or hate. Just enjoy and comment please.

Let's have a look at a little timeline in the show (at least what we know of):
Early 1980's -> Patrick Jane and Alex Jane are working together in the carnival as 'con artists'. 
Mid 1980's -> Patrick Jane has a falling out with his father and runs off with his wife.
1988 -> The first Red John killings take place on a farm from which we learn Visualize operates.

Now Red John vanishes for 10 years.

1998 -> Red John starts killing again, up until present Red John kills many including Patrick Jane's family.

Now what puzzled me is where was Red John for that 10 year gap? In the show they place emphasis on this fact. So I devised this next theory; see the timeline below:
Early 1980's -> Patrick Jane and Alex Jane work together as con artists in the carnival.
Mid 1980's -> Patrick and his father has a falling out. He runs of with his wife and his father becomes enraged over this.
Late 1980's -> Alex Jane starts Visualize and the first killings take place on the farm from which the organization conducts itself.  Alex is afraid of impending prosecution so he changes his appearance completely and gets a new identity. He becomes BRETT STILES.

Over the next 10 years he builds Visualize and becomes wealthy, influencial and powerful.

1998 -> Red John killings start again, Red John mastermind is Brett Stiles (Alex Jane). He hears of Patrick Jane and his way of exploiting people for financial gain and this makes him angry because that was why Patrick ran away, he did not want to do that. So he murders Patrick's family and decides to show him he's better at mindgames than Patrick.

I know this is crazy, but as a previous user commented, it fits all the clues:
1) Brett Stiles says: "I know Red John better than you will ever know him". Who knows you better than you know yourself?
2) The idea of plastic surgery was not excluded by Bruno Heller because the man in the end of season 3 who says he is Red John says: "I will get a new identity, a new face and make a new life for myself" (Please note I am not saying this man is Alex Jane or Brett Stiles)
3) Lorelei says "I can't believe you did not become best friends the moment you shook hands". If I knew that someone was Patrick's father, and I heard they met each other I also would not believe that Patrick had not recognized this man or become friends with him considering they worked together way back when.
4) If this theory were true, the Tyger Tyger reference could also tie in. Because the same one who 'created' Patrick Jane, also 'created' Brett Stiles.
5) Visualize gives 'hope' to people who are in need for financial gain. Is this not exactly what Alex Jane did? He tried selling that crystal to the sick girl, and his words were "We are selling her hope"
6) Alex may already have known about Patrick's 'happy memory'.
7) Brett Stiles told Patrick he knew his father, but we also know Brett knows Red John.
8) Visualize covered up the possibility of Red John having been a member of Visualize.
9) The timelines fit in well, because we never see what happens to Alex, and it is mentioned that he also left the carnival...to go where?

I know this is far-fetched but as I said I was having fun with this one. Thank you for enjoying the show with me and also having fun with this website. 

Please comment below as I would like to discuss this with you. 

Thanks

I have an extremely crazy idea, which could potentially if it were true, be a massive bomb the writers drops on viewers. Just hear me out. It's not an accusation as much as a "What if...".

I've been very outspoken in my theory that Red John will turn out to be Alex Jane, Patrick's father. Let's look at the timeline...

1980's - Patrick and Alex work together conning people and making decent money.
mid 80's (perhaps 85 or 86 - Patrick runs of with his wife and his father becomes enraged. 
1988 - First Red John Killings, but Red John becomes inactive for 10 years.
1998 until present - Red John kills again (including Patrick Jane's wife and daughter.

A few things before I continue. 
1. We never hear what happens to Patrick's father.
2. In 'Red John's Rules' the family friend tells Patrick Jane that his father was manipulative and exploited people's personal struggles to make money.
3. In "Strawberries and Cream", the man posing as Red John says "I will get a new name, a new face, and make a new life for myself"

So here is my CRAZY idea:
Early 1980's -> Patrick Jane works with his father as con artists in the carnival.
Mid 1980's -> Patrick Jane runs off with his wife and his father becomes enraged over this.
Late 1980's -> Alex Jane creates a small cult following. They from the farm on which the first Red John killings happen. Here Alex kills the first victims. 
After 1988 -> It is mentioned that Red John stops killing after the 1988 killings so. Alex Jane is responsible for the 1988 killings. Over the next 10 years, Alex Jane changes his appearance and his identity completely and becomes ... BRETT STILES. His group 'Visualize' grows and he continues to feed financially off of others' emotional needs. He becomes rich and powerful and has influence in all law enforcement agencies.
1998 until present -> Alex Jane (Now Bret Stiles) avenges his son's running off by murdering his wife and daughter and placing Patrick Jane in a cat and mouse game with himself.

Seriously, this explains absolutely everything. 
1. The handshake : Of course someone would believe that if a man met his father, although it's not his father anymore, he would recognize this man. Alex told Lorelei that he and Patrick worked together, and thus she can't believe Patrick did not recognize Brett Stiles or befriend him.
2. The comment about Alex making money off of others' emotional shortcomings falls in place because visualize does the exact same thing.
3. Brett Stiles says with confidence to Patrick Jane "I KNOW RED JOHN BETTER THAN YOU EVER WILL", and he says he knows Patrick's father. 
4. The Tyger falls into place as well, "Thy fearful symmetry" and the imagery of one man who created both Patrick Jane and HIMSELF, Brett Styles.
5. Patrick's father would have known about Patrick's happy memory from the carnival.
6. Even though Brett Stiles may not seem like he could do this himself, as the episode "Strawberries and Cream" indicates, Red John has many people working for him. Any one of them could be involved in any murder so far.

I know this sounds crazy and Bruno Heller most probably wouldn't pull a 'plastic surgery card' on us, but as I said, WHAT IF it were the case...?