Hi everyone.
First of all I want to thank all of the people posting theories, I enjoy reading them all, no matter how crazy they are, keep up the great work!

I posted my own first theory 2 weeks ago and it's kinda funny, because my take on who Red John is, is completely different now.

Where do I start ...

Having seen the extended promo for "The Great Red Dragon", When Rigsby says "RJ planted the bomb to kill Jane & the other suspects" while pointing to the clipboard behind him with Bret Stiles, Ray Haffner and Thomas McAllister on it, I assume that these 3 are killed by the bomb, which leaves only two suspects alive.

Gale Bertram and Reede Smith.

Now... everyone imagines Red John as the Bret Stiles-kinda guy. The guy who has so many followers, leads a cult, has mind-bending power etc., while in reality, he's just a normal man. I think exactly THAT is his coverage. Think about it... This is exactly how Red John would act.

Reede Smith....
... fooled Kirkland with ease when Kirkland said "Tyger Tyger" to him. (Which proves that he can lie very good)
... had no hesitation killing Kirkland with six shots in the back. (Which proves that he has no inhibitions killing people. See the look on his face when he shoots?)

Nobody knows Smith and nobody would recognize him. The director of the CBI is often on TV. I imagine Bret Stiles also to be on TV a lot. Is being Red John really possible if a lot of people know you? I don't think so.

Red John tried to bug the CBI. Now why on earth would Bertram bug the CBI? He can just ask Lisbons team to keep him informed.

But... if Red John worked at the FBI (like Reede does), he could have a reason to bug the CBI. Now you may say: But he's in the Tyger Tyger thing with Bertram. Okay... let's see what Smith said to Bertram:
 "it's your job to find out what Jane knows".

Maybe Smith now tries to get information first hand because Bertram didn't find out enough? Maybe he was angry because when Jane said RJ has done a mistake he got cautious... so RJ assumed that Bertram must have missed something. A perfect reason to bug the CBI himself instead of relying on Bertrams information.

A lot of people assume Bertram leads the Tyger Tyger conspiracy, but why would Bertram take orders in a Tyger Tyger meeting from Reede Smith then?

Another thing: Heller said people would be disappointed. Why could that be? Again, Reede Smith just appears an ordinary man, not the monster people make him out to be.

Robin Tunney (Teresa Lisbon) was shocked when she found it out, even more "than if she herself was Red John". What other guy than Reede Smith can have this shock effect? The Partridges, Bertrams, Stiles, Haffners have a lot of clues leading to them, Smith has not.

That is exactly how I imagine Red John would act. To be the guy in the shadows, the guy that no one expects. People look at the big spotlights... CBI Director, the cult leader Stiles.., but not at the seemingly unimportant Reede Smith.
 
In addition to that, the actor that plays Red John was "stunned and flattered" and "thought he was a Red Herring". Exactly the same. If I was the guy playing Reede Smith I would be as surprised.

Some playing-around:
Reede Smith is an anagram of  "The Red is me".
Reede Smith ... Reed - Red, Smith - Tagliaferro (cutiron) ... is this a coincedence?

You don't have to convince me who Red John is, you have to convince me it isn't Reede Smith. :)


Thanks for reading & let me know if I did a mistake in my deductions or your thoughts about this. Excited to read.