Apparently everyone is still on the idea that Partridge faked his death.  I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I would like to make an argument that Partridge IS really dead.  Here are some very good options for why Red John would have killed Partridge first.

1.)  It's a trap!:  RJ knew Van Pelt had bugged the suspects phones.  Partridge was not a vital member of Tiger, Tiger, so RJ chose him as bait.  He attacked him, then called in an anonymous tip to lure Jane and Lisbon to the house.  Unfortunately, Jane and Lisbon had a fight, so they were separated at the time, and Jane didn't show.  RJ lets Lisbon live, cuz he's really after Jane.

2.)  He knew too much:  Partridge said "Tiger, Tiger" so we can assume he's a member.  So what does he bring to the table as a member?  Forensics!  That's his profession after all.  He covers up the evidence for various crimes, especially Red John's murders.  He makes sure there is no evidence that can be traced back to RJ.  Therefore, he might know the most incriminating evidence about RJ.  He knew too much, so he was the first to go.

3.)  Ego:  We know RJ is very narcissistic.  Perhaps the thought of Jane qualifying Partridge as a suspect insulted him?  RJ killed Jane's family for insulting him.  It stands to reason that RJ would kill Partridge if he thought he was not worthy of the Red John name.

4.)  He wants to get caught:  RJ has shown he truly loves the cat and mouse game with Patrick.  The fault of genius is that it craves an audience.  Somewhere deep down, RJ really wants to Patrick to figure it out.  He killed Partridge to narrow the suspects and bring Jane one step closer to meeting him in person.

Truth be told guys, I feel those are all legitimate reasons, and I will be really disappointed if Partridge comes back from the dead.  it's such a cliche plot device that we've seen a million times before.  Don't we expect more than that from Bruno Heller?  I know I do.