It's Mashburn because he's in love with Lisbon. He's a crafty, influential businessman. This is a repost as the site removed my post earlier on.

Just watch this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ji9kHzpKNQ

Just a little comment about the fixation on "the list" of 7.  Jane did not have this list (to our knowledge).  He handed 7 pictures to Lisbon, which matched up against the names Lorelei read on the DVD AFTER Jane had already seen it.  So he just gave her the pictures of Red John's list.  Jane never made that list.  He would never have made that list.  He only met Kirkland and Smith AFTER Lorelei told him he had shaken hands with RJ, so there is no way that Jane would have included those two on a list of his suspects.  Plenty of reasons to exclude all of the others, but those two are irrefutable.  The list of 7 is bogus.  The real list is the little notebook that we saw earlier in the season the Jane always keeps with him.

And Bruno Heller did NOT say that Red John is on the list of 7.  He said "you can trust the list."  He didn't say which list, or what the list was a list of (accomplices, maybe).  So don't fixate on this list folks. 

What's going to happen to all your "spot on" theories when you actually realize Partridge is dead and McCallister gets killed?

My thought? RJ is Mashburn and Kristina Frye was his 3rd wife, as he mentioned in season 2 that his third wife was "really into that stuff." That's how Frye left the bedroom, because Mashburn came and got her.....or had one of his FBI, CBI, or police buddies get her.

Watch the episodes of season 2 and 3 that he was in and actually listen to what he says about himself, his thoughts on life, etc.....He is spot on for RJ.

He wouldn't hurt Teresa....as he loves her, Rich suave and a clever man, Is he Red John? I don't know, would be a bold move by heller

Just a comment about the list. I simply don't understand why some of you are crazy, dead insistent on that list being real. If the list was fake and that won't be revealed until a few episodes down the line, Bruno wouldn't say in interviews, "The list is the season finale is fake. Wait until an episode next season for a twist saying the list is fake!"

Of course he wouldn't say that, c'mon now people. I don't care what Bruno says, he's not going to tip his hand to twists in the show, nobody would do that. And he wouldn't say, "I'm not sure if the list is real or not," because if he did, people would think it's fake and lose interest in the season finale and that storyline.

Some of you literally believe everything he says and it boggles my mind. And if it is someone on the list, that's great.......but don't buy into everything Bruno tells you because he won't be giving future twists/storylines away.

It’s
extremely difficult to guess who Red John is but just a question/thought…

When
casting for the show, after Simon Baker, who would’ve been next in line to take
the lead role of the Mentalist?

Walter
Mashburn perhaps?  As we’ve heard,
Partick Jane and Red John are very much alike. We also have the Tyger poem that
talks about symmetry.



As others have already mentioned on here, Walter Mashburn has both the
characteristics and means to be Red John. He is also on Patrick Jane’s original
scribed list of suspects.



There are many good theories here about different suspects especially the recent
Sheriff ones. Great stuff!