I think the key to the Red John mystery was revealed in this episode. Kirkland mentions how both he and his twin brother were abused by his father. Jane remarks that Bob must have been the stronger of the two. If Bob was stronger than Michael I could only imagine how psychologically damaged he is. Bob says that his brother grew distant from him as he found someone, who he thinks was Red John, who understood him. I think that the person that he actually met was Brett Stiles and the Visualize cult. Visualize would require someone to distance themselves from their families. The visualize group would show the kind of love to a deeply damaged young man who was abused by his alcoholic mother. It also goes along with the clue that Red John's first kills were on the farm owned by Visualize.

If that theory doesn't hold true, the next best guess I have is that Red John is not one singular person but rather a network of people. This network is more than likely the "tiger, tiger" group. This would explain why so many people suspected of being or knowing something about Red John always drops the "tiger tiger" line when they die. If the organization covers things up for other members and is full of corrupt law enforcement officials then it would make sense as to why there are so many different suspects throughout the series and why no real headway has ever been made in the case. If this proves to be true I think that in the reveal episode this truth would be revealed and the member of the "tiger, tiger" club is the one who killed Jane's family, and then the rest if the series will be dedicated to exposing the rest of these members.

Reed Smith ain't no Red John, but he is part of the corrupt law enforcement ring -- code name: Tyger, Tyger. (I'll maintain Blake's spelling since this is what we've been going on up till now)

It certainly looks like Bertram, McAllister, and Reed Smith were discussing matters related to this when they were having their little powwow in 6.2. The question is... (questions are...)

Is this also a RJ thing? If so, to what extent do those who are in the Tyger, Tyger ring know that they are collaborating with Red John? If not, then why does Red John quote the first stanza of Blake's poem to Jane when he rescues him in Red Sky at Night? 

There certainly are other elements one could add, connecting RJ to Tyger, Tyger. Perhaps, too many to list here (although I'm sure someone will eventually put that list together for us). But let's just name a couple of obvious people here: Brett Partridge (forensics); Todd Johnson (cop killer). 

Based on other details related to these two characters, it is hard to argue that Tyger, Tyger ring is unrelated to Red John (even though Kirkland mentioned to Smith that he was not certain that there was a connection, but he does not know all the details we know). So it would be very unlikely that, say, the Tyger, Tyger ring is trying to pin some of its murders on Red John. However, it does not mean that everyone in Tyger, Tyger is in on the Red John connection. Although some people clearly are aware of it. 

<strong>Plausible</strong> = <em>Not all Tyger Tyger ring members are RJ devotees (devotees pledge devotion and sacrifice to RJ)</em>
<strong>Unlikely</strong> = <em>All Tyger Tyger ring members are RJ devotees</em>

The Mentalist 6x05 Promo "The Red Tattoo"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyTiRnroxzM