Hey Guys I've been watching the mentalist since S01E01. Believe me guys Bret Partrige is in fact dead it has been confirmed by Bruno Heller and CBS so please for you guys who keep saying he's alive it's not true. As for who red john is I have been suspecting Bertram for a while now and I just landed on Michael Gaston's profile on twitter (he plays Bertram). I found an interesting picture which he posted in August along with another one. He was shooting for the mentalist S06. It says: ''NO QUESTIONS'' on both the pictures.

Here is one of them... https://twitter.com/Gastonacts/status/365294786237841410/photo/1
Although it surely does not mean anything I feel like a ''bloody'' Bertram could be quite suspicious given that he is the CBI chief. Regardless, it's not hard evidence but I am really starting to believe it's him.

Some More questions to ponder.

If Bruno has stated that RJ was determined all along isnt there no way he would have guessed this would have gone on even past a season or 2? So could this mean that RJ has to be someone from season 1 or so whether that means he was in focus or out of focus in the episodes? But it certainly has to maybe eliminate these characters that were not introduced until later seasons? I dunno what is everyones thoughts?

I guess with this you could possibly say that they could have been in first couple of seasons but not introduced or brought into bigger picture until later seasons as their present characters?

If Partridge was trying to tip Lisbon off to who RJ is by tyger tyger than what could this tell us? After re watching the scene where Kirkland kills the RJ friend hes way to obvious to actually be Rj himself. I suppose Rj being the powerful and brilliant mind that he is could perhaps show himself without showing himself and I mean someone this brilliant how could they not alter their image and imitate to fit in

As far as physical descriptions of RJ go, I can't put too much stock in them.  I bet he has hundreds of disguises and perhaps appears with many personas to different people.  Reede Smith is the wheres waldo character like Bruno Heller said.  R.S. is perhaps just a persona and disguise! Cuz honestly its very interesting if RJ has showed his "true face" to Patrick.  Why would he do that?  It would be unnecessary.  And if he has shown his true face I would say he's Reede (or possibly Mcallister).  Plus I trust Patrick Jane and his 7 suspects list, unless he made it to trick RJ somehow.  Jane knows more about RJ then we do.  Why would Reede be on Patrick's list if he obviously doesnt fit the characteristics of RJ? (it would be patrick trying to trick RJ)
So he's there for a reason and Patrick has reasons for all of the suspects!  Dont get caught up on the minor details!   Try to think about the big picture because a huge theme of the show is that things are always different than they appear on the surface.

I'm am one of those who believes one of the 7 is RJ and the other 6 probably work for or have some sort of connection to Red John.  I don't think Partridge is dead, but I don't think he is RJ either.  Why would RJ reveal himself so easily?  I bet RJ used Patridge to lure Lisbon and then maybe he did kill Brett after all.

Bret Stiles- most obvious choice to be RJ so its not him
Gale Bertram- second most obvious choice to be RJ, it would be interesting if it were him to see                                    how Lisbon reacts
Bob Kirkland- third most obvious
So its too hard for me to believe its one of these three

After Reede Smith, my next choices are Haffner, Patridge, and Mcallister in that order.