Red John is Reede Smith and, yes, it's a huge disappointment.......His name means " Red one who strikes" and his alias ( Roy Taliaferro ) means " The King who strikes " . ...He's basically named The Red Killer....with the alias King of Killers...

Bruno Heller wouldn't admit this if you stuck bamboo slivers under his finger nails, but I really believe that Brett Partridge was meant to be RJ when the series started...Brett's first lines are " Enter Red John " for Chrise-sakes....and it would be beautiful " symmetry " for Red John to be in the first scene of the first show...but the problem is too many of the fans were cluing in so he had to take a different tack.....and thus Reede Smith was born....

I still believe Partridge was deeply involved with the RJ killings....A forensics expert would be an indispensable tool for a serial killer...and I think it was Partridge who quoted " Tyger Tyger " and saved Jane's life while he was tied to that chair...but the real RJ now is Reede S...