Robert Kirkland is the guy I'm talking about.
In some episode of season 5 He SHOOK the hands (before Lorelei Revealed that detail!) with PJ and then Patrick asked, "Do I know you?"
and he said, "You don't know me, but i know you".
P.S.: Both RK and RJ have letters in the name... it's obvious (kidding)
I think Wainwright is Red John. Only he knew that the FBI agent will get the files and that the woman want to investigate... He is intelligent, and he could know always everything what he want to know, if he is/was at the CBI. Sorry for my English, i'm from Hungary.
Many interesting theory on several charachter.
I think that Partridge has a lot of chance to be Red John. His voice is RJ's voice and his cultural references are important (A Brace of Partridge by Blake). I've report the facts and some deductions. We know some characteristic of RJ. I think, instead, that Kirkland investigate on RJ's powerful friends in FBI, and relationship of RJ with politicians and other powerful people, that put in danger the security of the Nation of USA.
Well.
Profile of Brett Partridge as RJ:
1.white male
2.mid-30s in 2003-40s now
3.just under 6'00' tall
4.medium build
5.works for CBI
6.speaks a little Spanish (link: possible he knows Tijuana's street/ Partridge said: que pasa dude?)
7.arson expert (talking very well on pretended "spontaneous combustion"; remember Todd Johnson)
8.socially awkward, especially around "normal" (not psychopaths) women (nervous with Lisbon, in Pilot, he touch many times his necktie)
9.forensics boss
10."Totally macabre", he love horror and blood
11. "Handled RJ cases"
12. He dislike PJ
13. Theatrical "appearance" and behaviour (it's his normal behaviour, but maybe he accentuates it to look a little clever, like the killer guy in the 1x09.
14 A little speech impediment (some letters: s, c, etc.)
15 graduate (biology or criminology, or forensic anthropology) and cultured (known literature: Dickens, Melville's Moby Dick)
Possible (theory and hypothesis/deductions, not sure facts)
1. Problem with his mother
2. Possible former Visualize?
3. RJ seems causes "shivers" and unlike feeling to the Prestons (mother and daughter in Red Barn) and the priest, and the house of Vogelsong the same to Lisbon, and also Jane, that don't believe in superstition. It seems that his instinct has the sensation that RJ/Partridge is here, inside; a similar thing happens to Rosalind Harker at morgue when was Carter's body.
I think that Red John was once a prominent member of Visualise, hence why Brett Stiles knows him. I think he worked his way up through the ranks, but somewhere along the way corrupted the teachings of the cult. He uses his natural charm and influence along with Visualise teachings to create his own sub=group of followers. This is why he seems to have contacts all over the place including law enforcement and FBI. It's already been established that Visualise members are everywhere and don't always let their "faith" be known.
It is possible that Red John is an organisation of it's own, with the leader ordering hits on the various victims, while keeping his own hands clean at this stage. He could possibly teach his disciples his methods in order to keep the killings consistent. That would explain how his victims are killed so quickly when they are exposed as a lead (as in Red John's Friends when Jared Renfrew is already dead by the time the team reach him).
Also the message left behind "He is man" could indicate that Red John views himself as a higher power or even god-like figure, leading us back to Red John being a member of Visualise. It's possible that Red John is bringing new members into the organisation, which is why Brett Stiles turns a blind eye to his other actions. Either that or he is Brett Stiles son, groomed from an early age to be the next leader of the organisation, and therefore been treated his whole life as a saviour.
I have only watched the first two series of the Mentalist and a couple of episodes from later series but at the moment I think Brett Partridge is a fantastic choice to make. Also I do not know much about the future series so understand whether I make a lot of bad assumptions. Notice how in episode 23 of Season 2 he runs up to Jane has a conversation with him and when Jane's done he turns around and whispers Jerk. It's is mentioned in that conversation that it is someone mocking Red John. Now most people would assume that he was talking about Jane but I think he was talking about the mock killers.
At the end of the episode he shoots his impersonators and says "I do not like people impersonating my cheap work." Or someting along those lines.
Also this is an interesting point I came up with.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121021090559/thementalist/images/thumb/2/23/Partridge_pilot....
This is a picture taken from the pilot episode of the Mentalist. While they're examining the crime scene, Jane say's "This isn't Red John, because he thinks of himself as a showman. This isn't the right order."
I think in this picture it looks like Brett is actually trying to subtly compare himself with the smiley face.
The face isn't a sign of arogance though it can be looked at that way. It's Red John sarcastically painting his face.
That's what I think at least
I know about what Lorelei says in a future series, that 'it's surprising you weren't friends the first moment you shook hands.'
Brett works with the police. A very negotiative organisation so he would've shook hands with him, he's obviously not that good of a friend with Jane.
This is something which annoys me about what most people think about Red John and Jane. They're not friends. Red John doesn't think of Jane as a friend, he thinks of him as a worthy opponent. If you put your finger on an idiot's chest and poke it in there face when they look, you're not that impressed with yourself. If you do that to a really clever, intelligent person it makes you proud and vain. That's how Red John thinks.
Thanks for listening.
Cheerio
Besides the obvious appearing in fake Red John cases and appearing to know absolutely nothing making him look more and more like he is trying to hide that he isn't. When Red John tells Jane the poem, the voice doesn't sound disguised, but rather like it's being changed just slightly because his mouth is covered, to me that voice sounds like a smaller male like Brett, I wouldn't say it's the guy running the religion because his voice would have been deeper, but it's not a female, that voice was definitely a male with a lighter voice.
im not saying harker is red john but people seem to think that when she decribed red john does anyone not care to think maybe red john had that cop stand infront of her and she was decribing him that cop (forgot his name) red johns acomplise is the same short dark hair medium build under 6 foot red john probably used him to through everyone of guard