Who is Red John?

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List of seven

Thomas McAllister
Thomas McAllister
Reede Smith
Reede Smith
Ray Haffner
Ray Haffner
Gale Bertram
Gale Bertram
Brett Partridge
Brett Partridge
Bret Stiles
Bret Stiles
Bob Kirkland
Bob Kirkland

LATEST THEORIES

In "red queen" Jane tests the protection around LaRoche but putting hightower, his accused and a pawn in his power play in controlling Jane through Lisbon and the CBI team. Jane then uses the entire team to lure him out by manipulating the whole team to go against all of their training and preconceptions of authority into manufacturing the death of Rigsby and Lisbon to lure Red John out proving to Red John that the team won't be blindly lead by a figure of authority and will question every untrusted lead outside their inner circle. LaRoche abdicates his position in fear of exposure.

Second, part of the theory, repitition in the references by Red John's disciples of the poem by William Blake "Tyger Tyger" (again the reference to "red queen" where LaRoche identifies the excerpt being recited by Director Wainright) and Laroche's first names or how they are referred to "J J". His surname "LaRoche" is an easy corruption of John's own name "Red" which can become"La Rouge" french for "the red", John John the red.

From his position as internal affairs unit he can oversee, hear all and see all, on all cases being handled and have access to all files on the team.

LaRoche controls the list of suspects in the Tod Johnson case.

Jane hires Culpepper to steal from LaRoche's house and Jane maniplates LaRoche with what Culpepper finds there.

LaRoche kills the gas station attendant so is capable of killing. 

If that is not convincing enough, LaRoche even looks like the cartoon Red John paints on the wall after he kills.

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For me the Red John Killer is Patrick Jane's unconscious, that for me it's different from a second personality but it's the real and hidden jane's personality, making it something new and not another "fight club". (Sorry for my english but it's not my first language)
As I heard in the 5x08 episode, Patrick and Red John met I felt this impulse to investigate who Red John is, so I went online and look for fan theories or usefull recaps, when I happened to find this page my first suspect was JJ Laroche because he's manipulative (he bahaved that way with Rigsby, Vanpelt and Lisbon) we also know he has a dark secret that must be terrible, he has a soft voice, and as Lorelei says they didn't become lifelong friends as they met while with other suspects Jane has a much better relationship. But here I read another user's post where he named a book by C. G. Jung "The Red Book" so I got information about this: it was released for the first time in 2001 (and published in 2009) as Jung's heirs refused to make it public, the book is about an experiment he did, a voluntary confrontation with the unconscious, through active imagination tecniques (something connected with meditation or I suppose self hipnosys). This could be the key to understand the obsession with the red color, and as a second reference in the last episode of the 4th season Jane's reading a book by C. G. Jung, I must add that the release of the book to academics in 2001 matches with the time should take to develop a plot and film a pilot episode in 2007/2008.
After reading this I begun to connect the odds, for example no RJ follower harms Patrick, the only person Patrick kills is a RJ copycat and the only one who claimed to be RJ (his wife was convinced to be married to red john) so he was the only copycat Patrick's conscious would accept to kill without a breakdown, than Simon Baker has a strange eye's cut so when he smiles the RJ logo seems a "ghost like" caricature of Patrick. More clues are given by Lorelei che calls Patrick "my love" in interrogation room, and when Patrick picked her up outside the prison she look into the car approach the door with an happy attitude and only after Patrick speaks she shows delusion, this means she was not able to tell he was not RJ just by the look, than when she only gets angry when she discovers Patrick made every one to belive she kidnapped him but when he tells her RJ raped and killed her sister she just wants to run away from Patrick.

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Maybe it's just easier to continually employ the same extras. But, right after Jane and Kirkland shake hands (at the end of "If it Bleeds, It Leads"), CBI Ron comes around the corner and walks down the hallway. He is the last and only person on screen when the episode ends. Just sayin'

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Bob Kirkland. Homeland Security.

We see him shake hands with Jane in 'If it Bleeds, It Leads' when passing in the hallway. Strange considering Jane doesn't shake hands often.  Also, he knows Jane, but Jane doesn't know him. 

We see Kirkland previously (in Red Dawn) in the car with CBI agent Alexa Shultz. His only words are 'thank you' yet it is said with such robotic distorted tones, his voice sounds strangely familiar.  Could she be Alexa's boss that she in fact is referring to? Is she the FBI informant and Minelli is the CBI informant?

Jane notices something too in 'If it Bleeds, It Leads' after his car wreck and Agent Kirkland is on the radio. He asks 'who is that guy.' Lisbon doesn't respond, but Jane has noticed something, possibly his voice?

Please note the way he pauses when he speaks, his emphasis on certain consonants, specifically his 'S's.

I am wondering about him, Lisbon seems to take to him quickly.  He is sly, suave, very clean, and seems to be an interesting character. Lets see what continues to be revealed.

I think theory #428 is right on.  


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Season 3 Episode 2. This Danny guy, Patricks brother in law (His wifes brother). This man fits the Red John description perfectly. Think about everything we know about Red John, watch this episode with 150% focus and tell me this can't be him!

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Red John can be seen in the season finale that Patrick Jane shoots the false Red John.
He is the guy with the red shirt wearing the black cap (he seems to be fond of wearing baseball hats). You can see him at the mall, in the background many times. He is talking to the coffee girl, the fake red john stares at him directly while walking away just before Patrick shoots him (off screen). He also is seen running from the same place the cop (the one that gets killed in the bathtub) comes from at the end (again off screen). I am sure this is him. Who wants to bet.

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Red John is NOT (1) a woman (ii) Patrick Jane.  Red John is (i) someone with resources, charm, and connections (ii) someone Jane has met previous to season five, episode 8. (iii) extremely smart 

Assuming it's not some random rich dude from a past case, Walter Mashburn, Bret Stiles, and Gale Bertram seem to be the only people with the necessary connections, resources, charm, and mental capacity.  

I just can't picture Gale Bertram having the charm to manipulate people the way Red John does. It also seems rather cliched. The head of the CBI is Red John. I think Bertram is likely one of Red John's people, but not actually the man himself.  

Bret Stiles just seems too obvious. He is also too upfront. He openly manipulates people. He openly runs a powerful organization. Why sneak around killing people? Why moonlight as the mysterious Red John? It doesn't fit with his character. 

That leaves Walter Mashburn. He also seems a bit obvious. However, he has the charm, the connections, the resources, and the motive (boredom). 
There just doesn't seem to be anyone else who could plausibly be Red John. 

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