Brett said in the Pilot that it was the first Red John smiley face he had seen and says he was "stoked to finally see one in the flesh"and yet in Red Johns rules, he says he has worked Red John's murder scenes since the murders began! Hmm I'm not sure what to say about this but its another point in Mr Partridge's favour.

To answer the question of how Red John came to know of Jane's 'happy memory', a lot of theorists have come out to say that the answer is to be found in the time Jane spent in a psychiatric ward. This is highly possible.

We found out in the flashback episode 5x18, that Kirkland had FBI work with CBI to keep track of Jane. Remember how before Alexa Schultz ended the call with Minelli, she revealed a piece of information about Jane's whereabouts after the murder of his wife and daughter: Jane was in 'an insane asylum'. That was of course to plant some doubts regarding Jane's mental health and give a strong push for Minnelli to keep an eye on Jane and update Schultz. How and who else could have told Schultz about that but Kirkland? If we take Red John out of the equation entirely, say Jane's family was murdered by some other killer, I cannot think of any possible reason why the FBI would be so interested in keeping tabs on Jane. However, Jane's family was murdered by Red John and so he became Red John's person of interest. Hence, how the FBI and the need to inform the FBI about Jane's psychiatric ward stay, came into the picture.

The audience were told of Jane's 'stint' in the psychiatric ward in 1x10, of which the time setting is a few years after he started to work with CBI. The setting of 5x18 is a few years before Jane started his CBI consultancy so chronologically no one in the CBI knew of this when Jane first appeared to them, and henceforth, no one Jane worked closely with (except Minnelli) knew of it until 1x10, by Jane's own admission.

Chronologically, that should be when the information about Jane's psychiatric ward stay was first revealed to the CBI. If Bertram was Red John, why would he need the information to be revealed to Minnelli in such a way? Him being Director could have easily issued the directive that Jane be watched.

A few other things I find interesting:
1. When Kirkland supposedly first met Jane in the CBI corridor, he said, “Sorry, Mr. Jane.” and to Lisbon when he asked about Jane when Lorelai escaped from prison, he referred to Jane as 'your Mr. Jane'. Remember how Red John addressed Jane as 'Mr. Jane' in that note pinned to the door? Subsequently as this strange relationship is formed between them over the years, Jane became 'Patrick' to him. Similarly, Kirkland began addressing Jane as 'Patrick' in subsequent interactions.

2. How impossible would it be for the Attic Invasion to have actually happened before Lorelai's murder? Not at all. It could be that chronologically, the invasion took place before Lorelai's murder but plot-wise, it seemed to be after her murder. 5x18 is proof enough that the writers can play with chronology as they see fit, to withhold or reveal important information. What we see is what seems to be but what it really is, we don't know until it is revealed to us.

red john can be anyone but it is going to be dissapointing no matter who t is

After I watched all the episodes of The Mentalist I realized Red John doesn't seem to be an intellectual killer.Sure, you say, but what about the William Blake references, listening to Bach and what I meant is that by analyzing Red John's murders alone(without the other things we know about him), he doesn't seem to be a high-functioning sociopath or even a psychopath for that matter, he seems to be a sexually frustrated and antisocial man, who resents women on a personal level(hence the cutting with the knife, the fact that he leaves them to bleed out until they die, brutalizing the body with a series of unnecessary wounds and marking his victim, basically shaming her corpse, his smiley face serves as a humiliation to the victim and as his symbol), very immature(can't stand to be insulted by anyone in anyway, whether they simply call him a "beast" or they publicly denigrate him like Jane and James Panzer, he immediately takes action which also leds me to believe that he is a very impulsive person) and he clearly enjoy what he does, getting sexual gratification from the humiliation and killing of the women.His targets are always women.He first killed women, one man(Carter Peak because he barged in) and then he killed Patrick's wife and daughter, he killed Jared Renfrew to shut him up, then he killed another woman for the anniversary of the murder of Patrick's family, then he killed a bunch of people having to do with him(people that could've expose him) and after that he killed another woman again(Eileen Barlow).My point is that he clearly targets only women as his serial killer fantasy, the men were always collateral damage as they were involved with him or could've somehow expose his identity or some significant clues about him.He clearly is the hedonistic type of serial killer, the one that kills only for pleasure and for fulfilling his sexual desires and fantasies on the women.See what I am trying to say?Based on his murders alone, you can't profile him as a very bright person, the kind that listens to Bach and reads poems by William Blake.And the fact that he leaves no trace means he has some forensics "know how" as he could have some forensics experience, maybe he worked or works as a forensic expert or he studied the field thoroughly.

And here's my theory!I believe Red John to be an impulsive and sexually frustrated and obsessed person.Someone who can't control his dark urges and occasionally murders a woman because he can't be sexually pleased unless he humiliates and murders said woman in cold blood.I believe he's an immature person, who acts aggresively when challenged, but in a passive-aggresive way, hence the murders and that he's an attention seeker or an attention whore depending on what term do you prefer to use, who tries to make himself noticed and praised through his murders.And I believe he has even killed women on a whim depending on his emotional state at that time.

In my opinion things are like this: Brett Partridge is Red John, this impulsive, insatiable and sexually frustrated geek/ghoul who slashes women because he can't stand them and simultaneously he satisfies his sexual urges.And I believe he is the son of Bret Stiles(maybe a bastard son and that's why he's not officially Stiles's son, even Bret Stiles must've had an affair, right?) or that he is a relative of Stiles, maybe his nephew, whatever.I believe that as a serial killer he's mediocre at best, having the fortune of being a forensic expert, thus knowing how to cover his tracks, which I consider to be the main reason why he wasn't caught in the early seasons.

And here's the catch: Bret Stiles loves his son, so he protects him.So he sends a Visualize member that he has in Homeland Security(because it's always good to have such followers placed conveniently in posts of great power) to protect him, by getting rid of accomplices(Jason Lennon), following Jane closely and how far he is in his investigation.That man is Robert Kirkland.My theory is that Stiles is pretty much disappointed with his son(Partridge) for becoming what he became, but since he loves him like how a father loves his son, he protects him, by erasing any official data about him being a Visualize member, either currently or in the past, erasing any info about having a son and that it is him, sending a fucking Homeland Security Agent, also a member of the Church, to cover up his tracks, killing his accomplices, pointing Jane in false directions and observing Jane's investigation closely.

So, while Partridge occasionally murders a woman, Kirkland does whatever it takes to lead to the outcome of Partridge not being caught or even exposed as Red John.Like getting rid of accomplices or people with dangerous kind of informations.For instance, don't you find it strange how RJ arrived so fast in Mexic to kill Jared Renfrew and that hooker.I bet it was Kirkland who did that.With his Homeland Security resources he could've find out about his whereabout and fly to him via helicopter to kill him.Or those ghost companies RJ Solutions, Cut Iron Properties, the ones that hire that plane to make the RJ sign, again Kirkland.The man with the network of followers is again Kirkland courtesy of Bret Stiles and Visualize members.Like Rebecca's orders to kill Bosco and his team, planned by Kirkland at Partridge's behest.Look at Red John from the second season's finale, look what fine marksmanship skills he has, he shoots those two(Ruth and Dylan) with perfect accuracy, one shot to kill the guy, one shot to incapacitate the woman without killing her in order to kill her with the knife and one shot to incapacitate Wesley Blankfein.Then he walks straight to Patrick, recites the first stanza of The Tyger by William Blake and leaves.Red John kidnapping Kristina and brainwashing her into believing she's dead, again Kirkland or Bret Stiles.That's why Bret Stiles knows where she is.All that Red John mole in the CBI being Craig O'Laughlin and the mess with Timothy Carter, his wife and the mall guard(Ron Deutsch), again Kirkland and Stiles.All that situation with Lorelei and the limo in which Luther Wainwright's corpse was.Moving Lorelei in a different prison, obviously Kirkland, the man says an agent by the name of "Agent Nemo", Nemo meaning "Nobody" in latin, told him where to transport Lorelei Martins.We learn Kirkland was there from the very beginning, we see him with FBI Alexa Schultz calling Minelli to report about Patrick.He tries to apprehend Lorelei even though technically it's not in his job description.Then he kills Lorelei Martins, makes the video about Patrick's list and kills Jason Lennon.This is why Lennon didn't recognize Kirkland.Because Partridge is Red John and Kirkland is like his secret bodyguard.

Think about it!Red John's murders show the print of a social recluse frustrated with his inability in dealing with women, thus ending as the mysoginistic pervert who humiliates and murders them.Everything matches.The normal Red John killings are done by Brett Partridge.The getting rid of the accomplices, the possible flight risks like Jared Renfrew, the brainwashing and the followers are actually Kirkland and Stiles.It makes perfect sense.That's why Roy Tagliaferro(Brett Partridge) had that relationship with Rosalind Harker.She is blind and she has this kindness about her.So when he met her, he finally felt like having a normal romantic relationship.Being blind, she couldn't see him and that made Brett feel confident when he was with her(notice how shy Brett usually is), because to her he wasn't some weirdo or some ghoul as Patrick describes him.I suspect something happened eventually that made him leave her, maybe his urges became too strong while he spend time with her or he simply couldn't restrain himself from taunting Patrick on the anniversary of the death of his wife and daughter.In season 2, it was him who poisoned Rebecca, that's why she was so happy to see him.However, it was Kirkland the one who saved Jane, most likely at Partridge's behest.I don't think Partridge can shoot like that, that was expert marksmanship skills that only special agents, secret agents and special forces are trained to do.Killing those women(and Patrick's family and Lorelei sister, Miranda), including Eileen Barlow and sleeping with Rosalind Harker are Brett's doing.Killing the accomplices(Jason Lennon, Ron Deutsch, Lorelei Martins etc beside Rebecca who was killed by Brett) and doing the brainwashing and watching over Patrick are Kirkland's doing.Notice how when RJ(Kirkland) saves Patrick, after he recites from The Tyger, he comes back telling Patrick about Kristina and tapping him on his shoulder right before saying "Roll Tide".And in the episode where he kills Jason Lennon, Kirkland says to Jane that he is sorry, that there was nothing he could've done and then when he leaves he taps Patrick on the same shoulder(the left one) and then Patrick turns and looks like he just had a revelation.I believe Kirkland hypnotized Patrick back then and he released the trigger when he tapped Patrick on the shoulder again at the hospital, I am sure Kirkland hypnotized Patrick, the gestures are just too similar.Even the mannerisms, notice the way Kirkland walks and the way RJ walks when he saves Patrick, the same.Probably, Bret Stiles is planning on making Patrick believe Kirkland is RJ so that Brett Partridge(his son) is okay.And this will justify the episode about hypnosis in the first season, where Patrick explains more about hypnosis and how it works.

This theory does not claim that Red John is a group of people.This theory claims Brett Partridge is the real RJ, but he is not as smart as the show makes him to be.Actually, based on Red John M.O., he doesn't seem to be different than any other mediocre serial killer with delusions of grandeur, sexual frustrations and other social problems.This theory claims Brett is related somehow to Stiles(father and son, uncle and nephew, adoptive son, maybe Stiles caring about his disciple) and that Stiles cares enough to send one of his most special assets(Robert Kirkland) to basically clean up the mess left by RJ to ensure he is never getting caught, like killing some of his disciples, watching Patrick closely(Kirkland does it since Patrick works at CBI) and the followers are provided by Visualize.Also, Gale Bertram is somehow involved seeing as he speaks with Kirkland some suspicious things.I just noticed that the same theory could work with Ray Haffner as RJ and son of Stiles.

This is my theory.Hope you enjoy it and I also hope that it will stir up your minds a little.If you have any questions about it, please, fire away.What is your opinion about it?
Food for thought!

Hey guys, what do you think about the season finale?? Couldn't be plausible that PJ got time to take the pics of the seven suspects that the video mention although he has another suspects? I mean before Lisbon goes to see him, he has been watching the video so he perfectly could took the pics to show Lisbon and the audience that he is afraid of Red John and may be to protect her. I think he has another list with different suspects or at least some will vary.
Cheers.

There is no Red John, when Bruno Heller wants to reveal who Red John is they will put small pieces together from ever episode and create a Red John. So what I'm saying is Red John has not even been created yet. Stories change everyday, Bruno Heller probably wakes up in the morning and changes everything around, why? because he can and it's so easy to do.

Red John was probably one of the 7 until ratings for the Mentalist are high, therefor it means they can make more money so they have to change the story line to keep it going. Wake up people it's a TV show and a great one at that.

Not to mention, if Red John was already included in the story line don't you think some internal leak would have shown up on the internet by now?

And again if the leak did show up, they would just change the story once more.
So like others have stated, enjoy the show and GIVE UP!