If forced to go with the list of 7, Bret Stiles is the only one with the charisma to attract even one follower, much less multiple followers willing to die for him.  Others have made good arguments for various people not on the list of 7--such as Ellis Mars (Theory #7265 • By Sesshofz), Mashburn, etc.

My interest is in PJ's back story and what happens after RJ is caught/killed.  This might be an interesting scenario:

o  Homeland Security suspects the existence of widespread, organized corruption within California law-enforcement agencies -- the state FBI office, the CBI, and even local PD's.  HS is interested because, aside from the crimes that might be committed or covered up, corrupt law-enforcement agencies are susceptible to being blackmailed or co-opted by domestic and international enemies of the US.

o Red John is a local serial killer either with no connection to the corrupt law enforcement people, or, who split from that group.

o PJ's extraordinary intelligence was identified when he was in foster care by Carson Springs Child Protective Services in his youth.  The CIA (or similar sister agency) has programs to systematically identify and recruit young people with extraordinary potential, and trolls for such youths (similar to Talman Bunting's recruitment of math geniuses for national security computer work).  Assume PJ is recruited as a teenager.

o PJ's  cover occupation is a "psychic" entertainer, arising from his carny background.  This affords him freedom to travel and set his own schedule, allowing him work for HS without it being obvious.

o  Angela and Charlotte Jane are PJ's family.  Both are killed in a car crash.  HS (now the overarching organization which includes the CIA, FBI, NSA, etc.) sees this as a unique opportunity to establish PJ as a mole within the CBI.  HS persuades PJ to use his family's death as a way of investigating corruption in CA law-enforcement--a way of salvaging something positive out of his personal tragedy.  HS has PJ make insulting on-air comments about RJ and then fakes the RJ murders of Angela and Charlotte.  This creates the excuse for PJ to want to work for CBI to pursue RJ. 

o  As part of the effort to establish his cover story for the investigation, PJ agrees to being hypnotized to block memories of his HS connection and to believe RJ murdered his family.  The FBI is suspicious nonetheless.  Robert Kirkland of HS intervenes to have Alexa Shultz of the California FBI office arrange reports on the CBI RJ case (and therefore on PJ) to quell the FBI's suspicions.  Kirkland also has his own motives for catching RJ and hopes PJ helps with this as well as uncovering the suspected law-enforcement corruption.

o  PJ tricks his way into the CBI.  As a CBI consultant, PJ is nicely positioned to observe and investigate the CBI and other California law-enforcement organizations.  He:
- is dismissed and underestimated as an amateur by actual agents and cops
- spends a lot of unstructured, unsupervised time at CBI by sleeping there (practically living there) with the excuse of insomnia and the need for CBI "white noise"
- has access to all levels of the CBI and frequent contact with the California FBI and local PD's
- doesn't have to keep a regular work schedule
-  has his RJ hunt to explain investigating all sorts of things without raising suspicion
-  is monitored by the FBI and HS via Minelli's agreement with Alexa Shultz of the FBI, thus obviating other FBI monitoring, and, allowing HS to keep tabs on what the FBI (thinks it) knows about PJ and his RJ investigation

o RJ didn't kill PJ's family, but comes to enjoy the cat-and-mouse with a worthy opponent.  RJ realizes PJ's true objective is to uncover law-enforcement corruption--the Tyger Tyger group--which is somehow a threat to RJ.  RJ thus occasionally helps/protects PJ.

o The RJ-PJ-Tyger Tyger connections become more complicated when PJ actually makes progress in identifying and catching RJ

o HS loses control of the situation because of Sophie Miller's death (she's the link to PJ's unadulterated memories) and Robert Kirkland's personal vendetta against RJ.  PJ is now uncoupled from HS and any recollection of the car accident which killed his family.  So far as PJ knows, RJ did indeed kill his family and the quest for vengeance is real and deserved.

The future holds PJ fulfilling his quest to get RJ.  Realizing PJ has learned far too much, the Tyger Tyger group targets PJ.  Assuming members of Lisbon's unit are hurt/killed by Tyger Tyger, PJ decided to pursue Tyger Tyger as a worthy objective now that he's eliminated RJ.