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

Hi there - I've been following this website for a while now, and
thought it time to contribute.



As a side note, a while ago, when I learned about the list, my friend and I
guessed who was going to be on it.

She came up with: Mashburn, Stiles, Bertram, Partridge, Kirkland, Volker and
Alex Jane.



My views were slightly different: Mashburn, Stiles, Bertram, Partridge,
Kirkland, Virgil and then I suggested a dark horse for the last space.



When I complied my list, my suspicions were centred around Mashburn and Bertram
- although I thought Virgil would've been good too.



Now that I've seen the real list, I like the idea of McAllister for Red John. I
operate on the assumption the list is correct – my reasons in shiw are
explained, but it would be a massive slap in the audience’s faces if it weren’t.



I would not like to make any form of conclusive statement, but rather look at
some of the evidence with fresh and objective eyes, not clouded by trying
to make evidence fit a certain character.



Definitively, I would like to state I am not making a case, but merely
pondering some of the clues and ideas posed. I will not consider pigeons, which
I would state are a non-clue, based solely on analysis of the reasons offered –
someone feeding pigeons at a park that Jane and Lisbon were in is not, to my
mind, suspicious, especially as they evidently were there before the two
arrived. Disliking having a pigeon fly in your face does not constitute a fear.



Things to consider

The list - I believe that the list of seven suspects is valid, and
people have questioned the validity of including certain suspects. I remember
it is stated that the list is derived from cutting down the handshake list to
only the suspects whom could've committed all the murders.

As such, if Red John is more than one person, as has been suggested, it implies
that the list is valueless - this is possible, although it does then bode the
question of why Jane is spending time with the seven suspects so much. Three
answers suggest themselves - that one of the suspects is guilty, that he knows
the list is invalid but would be spending a lot of time in proximity to Red
John anyway so it doesn't matter, or it is an elaborate trap.



How did Red John know the list? - Lorelei is dead, thus the list was
made before her death. As such, how could Red John produce Jane's list months
in advance? Here are some ideas: that Red John followed the same line of
reasoning as Jane and produced the same list via thinking and research. That
Jane did not produce a list, but rather simply used the one Red John provided.
That we have not seen all the video. Maybe Jane shot the video himself - this
does not suggest he is red John - as part of an endgame to trap Red John.

He is man – either Jared Renfrew or Red John himself wrote the words on the
word. If it was Renfrew, we can assume they are some clue to Red John’s
identity – of the theories I have seen so far, that would give us an incomplete
message, the word ‘Heisman’ or an anagram of some sort. If Red John wrote it,
it makes the message a bit more cryptic – a possible clue to his identity
again, or even some taunting.

Tyger tyger, and
William Blake
– an obvious suggestion to
this motif is the hallmark of his killings, although the smiley faces fulfil
this goal – there is a form of religious imagery running through the word, so
it would suggest a possible religious connection to Red John’s killings. The
fearful symmetry line suggests either a literal or a metaphorical symmetry –
either something pertinent is literally an opposite, or a symbolic clash
exists.  Why did Brett Partridge utter
the line when he dies – it suggests a Red John connection to him, although on
the follower front more than the man himself.

Rebecca – Rebecca was killed, and if we presume by Red John and not one
of his followers, it renders the situation interesting in regards to who could
actually have been there at the time, and who would have been able to get away
with such a murder? Although possible, it is hard to imagine anyone
particularly important would not have been recognised, but then equally hard to
imagine someone lacking in importance (in a law enforcement front) would have
been allowed near such a prisoner.

Appearances – we have had several descriptions of Red John, as well as an
appearance from the man himself when he saves Jane. Although we cannot say for
certain, there are several points of concurrence – his gender and his height. I
would not like to trust anything else, many of the characteristics could be
changed – hair, for instance – or faked – liking Bach.

Visualise – it is inferred that Red John has a connection to Visualise,
based on Bret Stiles’ knowledge of him and the barn murders. Whether or not he
was/is a member cannot be stated for certain, although it seems probable based
on the previous points. However, it may be Worthing considering that working on a farm could have been co-incidental - possibly to plant the Visualise connection - as we saw in the episode, there were non-Visualise members connected too.

Sophie Miller – there are a number of fallacies regarding Miller – for one,
although highly likely, we cannot state for certain that the patient Jay Roth
is Red John. Then, assuming he is, the idea of a phobia is only a suspicion of
Miller – we cannot take that as fact either.

Phone tracking – at the end of The Desert Rose, we can see quite clearly the
location of the tracked individual’s phones – this does not equate to the same
thing as each individual. Anybody could have left a phone at a location or in car
– the suspect being far away/in transit/both does not exclude them.

Getting away with it – as an inference more than a clue, we must consider that Red
John must have some sort of position of power, some sort of access to
information, respectability/exertion of influence and a great deal of intellect
to have been successfully murdering for so long. With some suspects, the framework
is evident – Visualise, Homeland Security, the CBI – but everybody considered could achieve this.

Just some thoughts - what does everyone else think?

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Thank you! Someone finally put it into words: http://www.whoisredjohn.com/See-a-theory-Red-John/6198#disqus_thread 

How can Patrick Jane include people on the list who obviously DO NOT fit he criteria and clues we have received regarding Red John?  Bertram too tall and no hair, Stiles too old and short, Reede too fat, etc.So who or what do we trust?  Do we trust our so-called clues?  Do we assume that Patrick Jane knows something we do not? Can we assume that Jane forgot about some of the clues - I don't think so!  Not forgetting those facts is requisite's for 'Smarts 101' and he is doing his doctorate in smarts - that is what this show is all about and why we watch it.

I tell you, if there isn't some seriously good explanation why these people can be on the list without disregard for each and every one of those 'clues', I will feel shortchanged and will chuck my TV out of the window - for ever.  Because then they could as well say that the pigeon who spooked McAllister is Red John.  Like Waldo always in the background. That pigeon featured at Partridge's murder and he is one of 'many' pigeons (you obviously need some help, being a pigeon).  And in 'Madagascar' you see that penguins can be quite handy and threatening, so why not pigeons?  This evil pigeon just knows how to hypnotize people.  I mean, why would a murder victim of Red John mutter "Tyger Tyger", unless he wasn't hypnotized by a pigeon?  What other explanation could there be?

But I digress. Let's assume that the show, the writers, are not trying to pull a quick one on us.  That means that the list is accurate.  It therefore has to mean that that the clues which contradict some of the suspects, must be explainable as being fake.  For instance Rosalind Harker must have been lying because she is still in love with Red John aka Roy Tagliaferro.  That I would believe.

While it is after 'the fact' ('the fact' = 'compiling the list'), one example of a misleading clue could be 'Red John is afraid of heights'.  That is not a solid clue!  It is a clue because, wait for it, Red John created it!  He was the one who told Sophie Miller. And how could he not know that Jane would think of looking for Sophie Miller because of the 'happy memory'?  Of course he knew!  He knew that Jane would 'discover' that clue.  It's cat and mouse. - will Jane know that I planted this clue?  Let's make it look real by stealing her notes - except the recording...

So we have to list each 'clue' - especially based on 2nd hand reporting- and seriously, slowly evaluate each as being reliable or not.  We have to look at the motives behind the existence of those clues.

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Not a Red John theory, I've shared my views on that before.

The nurse entering Lisbon's room looking for some random looked very much like a trigger for activating a hypnotic state (there must be some point to this part of the scene!).  I think that one of the Red John's has hypnotised Lisbon, Jane knows this and has edited up the tape of the Red John notes to create false leads and see how / if each suspect reacts?

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I don't know who RJ is but I want to analyse the suspects.


Brett Partridge

He's as dead as Cho's personality. I believe he was a copycat killer and that it was him in the season 2 finale acting as RJ.

Bret Stiles

Stiles is more slippery than Rigsby's hair gel. I believe he indeed knows who RJ is but fears him and that's why he wouldn't reveal his identity to Patrick. He could also be RJ's father and that's why he would be protective of his son.

Reede Smith

He's rougher than Jane's stubble. He doesn't match the physical description we have been given but he is powerful and ruthless. I think people are glossing over him too easily.

Gale Bertram

Clearly he didn't get past the 'act like a tree class' in drama school. He has the power and influence to be RJ but he seems too gullible and obvious as well as being too tall and old.

Sheriff McAllister

He's had more hats than I've had hot meals. From 6x03 I think he is a viable suspect. He's been there since season 1 and it seems like he has a fear of pigeons and maybe a split personality. He also offered jane his friendship and is a good whistler. However, he is slightly too old which could rule him out.

Bob Kirkland

He's more dangerous than a swiss army knife. I personally think Kirkland is after RJ because RJ betrayed him or did something to him many years ago and now Kirkland is out for revenge. It could also be argued that he is RJ's accomplice/red right hand but I think Kirkland's streaky personality suggests he isn't the type of guy RJ would have as his right hand man.

Ray Haffner

He's lifted more weights than Arnie. Haffner is my number 1 choice. He matches the physical description we've been given and he would have been 21 in 1988. Also, he is the only one of the suspects to call Lisbon 'Teresa' as well as being a good whistler. The only reason I would rule him out is because it seems like he's being forced down our throats.

Thanks for reading my theory.

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Theory #6214 • By butterball
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 Kristina Frye — a psychic who occasionally works with the CBI. Although initially at odds, due to Jane's belief psychics do not exist, the two began to work well together. As time goes by, Frye helps out with more murder cases, and romantic feelings spark between her and Jane. In the Season 2 finale, Frye is put under protection by the CBI when she attempts to reach out to Red John only to disappear from her heavily guarded home. In the Season 3 episode "Blood on His Hands", Frye is found alive but unresponsive four months after disappearing. Jane attempts to communicate with her in a séance, but she has no memory of the events of her disappearance and can offer no information regarding Red John. She is, to date, catatonic, presumably institutionalized somewhere.

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Theory #6213 • By R_Tagliaferro,
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Here is my list of Red John suspects, which is more accurate then Patrick Jane's list. Be sure of it!

http://s18.postimg.org/5vk7djb6x/7suspects.jpg

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The theory written by "hammrn" is super - Danny could be RJ. But Bruno Heller said that RJ IS on Patrick's list, so not Danny. 

The body of Partrige doesn't vanish after they found Lisbon, so Partige dies and he can't do a come back. 

My opinion is that Ray Haffner is RJ. He didn't kill Lisbon because he likes her, and he has a similar character like Patrick.

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