I believe the physical attributes given by Rosalind Harker cannot be trusted. Even Jane, when he compiled his list, didn't take much consideration to her description. If Jane had taken her description into consideration completely, all but three or four would have been excluded off the list.

Brett Partridge, even without Harker's description, still fits. In 1988, the first two murders of Red John occurred, and according to The Red Barn, anyone under 30 would be considered a kid, which would make the age range most likely in the mid 40's for Red John. Partridge fits this, as does his body type which matches the police officer that passes Rebecca in the episode His Right Red Hand. He is very slim, and he walks with a slight swagger, just as Partridge does in the pilot episode, when he is going through the murder scene and describing it.

He also is a CSI Forensics expert, who has access to the CBI and would also have access to any gossip or talk going on in the CBI, such as Bosco getting the Red John Files, since Rebecca would have already been in place, she was most likely there as a mole, but Red John needed her to kill the team so Jane could get the files back, and Red John could continue his game with Jane. Partridge also has knowledge of evidence, and how to clean it up should he have to, or he could even know how to avoid leaving evidence, as it is his job to collect it.

It is also possible that before anyone else got to the motel scene in the finale or season 5, or when nobody was in the motel room, he could have penciled in the CPS number on the wall, leading Jane to CPS and in turn, to Gottlieb who gives him the disc from Red John.

Partridge is also into macabre horror and has little shock value about murders, and even commented about congealed human fat and tissue cooking on lightbulbs in Red Laquer Nail Polish. He's ghoulish, and he revels in the fact people have died a terrible death.

He and Patrick have never gotten to like each other. From the pilot, they both do not see eye-to-eye on the Red John scenes, with Partridge often wrong in declaring if they are 'official' Red John murders. Even though they have never shaken hands on-screen, it is safe to say that when Jane first started with the CBI that he would have shaken hands with his colleagues, including Partridge.

Also, through everything, Red John has always taken out anyone who has gotten in the way of his fun with Patrick Jane, and who could identify him: Kristina, Todd, Rebecca--but the one person Red John has let go, even though she is helping him hunt Red John and even though she has gotten in the way many times of Red John's fun, is Lisbon. Partridge has taken a liking to Lisbon, as is evident by the easy conversations they have and the way he speaks to her at scenes. It is possible that he cares for Lisbon, and doesn't wish to harm her...yet. If she becomes a problem and she gets Jane closer to his identity, she may just be in the crosshairs. Just an interesting observation.

Now for Stiles, I believe he knows Red John. I believe the reason he knows Red John's identity is because Red John is a member of Visualize. Visualize members are made to make 'Ventilation Videos' to spell out all the wrong deeds they have ever done. I believe that Red John has made a few of these videos, and that Stiles has seen them. This would explain how Stiles knew where Jane could find Kristina Frye, and how Stiles knows Red John. And, because Visualize is considered a 'religious organization', Red John's identity is kept private, and possible kept that way because Stiles has been accused of crimes to which he does not want any attention paid to. If he gave Red John's identity, it is presumed the FBI would raid his church and discover things Brett Stiles may want to keep buried.

Thanks for reading.

I personally believe Red John is Partridge.  If you look at his physique in Red John's Rules and then at Red John's physique in Red Sky in the Morning, they are incredibly similar.  He also fits the physical description of having short hair and being just under 6' tall, as he stands at 5'11.

Now that we got that out of the way...

Is has been established that Red John is or was a member of Visualize.  Bret Stiles obviously is the head of Visualize.  I have zero evidence backing this up, but it was a thought that came to me and I wanted to see what everyone thought...is there a relation between Partridge and Stiles?  Could Stiles be Partridge's father or a mentor at Visualize?  I'm quite sure that Stiles either knows who Red John is, or has a very good idea who it is.  Whether or not Stiles has anything to do with Red John or not, I'm still going with Partridge.

What do you all think?

Having seen every episode, i cant say who red john is. For me, there is only two things which must be taking into account.

firstly it cant be the split personality of Jane himself, the episode where Jane is tied up and red john kills his would be killers, whispering "tiger tiger in his ear", rules that theory out.

Secondly, the final episode makes it quite clear that red john is in, or has been in Jane's head. he knew the list and also the memory.

I think its fair to say that the whole show is about the manipulation of the mind, is it unreasonable to think maybe Jane has in the past been hypnotised to give freely information and not remember doing so?

I love the show and pray that it doesn't run too long, with two many twist .. leaving only one option as  an ending, that of Jane in a mental hospital and the the characters being staff in said hospital. I'm of the opinion that the season 3 finally in the restaurant was the perfect ending.