It's not Gale Bertram - he is Kirklands mole in the inside organisation he approached Smith about, which explains the conspiratorial comment made between Kirkland and Bertram about Lisbon: "can we trust her?"

We also have no evidence it was Red John himself that had the tattoo - it could have been a Tyger Tyger member, and all the PI was trying to do was impart the sole bit of information she had in her dying moments.

We also know from things Heller has said that Red John is indeed on the list Jane made, which rules out other members of the team.

My suggestion is Stiles - he has already demonstrated enough personality to build an entire religion around himself, manipulate many people into doing his will, and shown that he has the ability to enter and exit the country at will (remember Red John beat Jane to Mexico to kill someone Jane was interested in talking to). He has powerful diplomatic friends, and a vast personal wealth to back his movements and actions.

His Visualize persona is just an act, something Red John is very good at doing when he wants or needs to as he is able to get close to a large range of people to carry out his wishes. He is manipulative and coercive, he is controlling and he loves his position of power.

If his claims of having cancer is also true, then that would also tie into Red John not wanting to play by any rules any more - he wants a sprint to the finish line with Jane before he can't do it any more.

Does anyone else think that Red John has a hard time making water cooler 'small talk' with his coworkers on Mondays?

Coworker: "Hey Roy, what did you do over the weekend?"

Red John: "Ummmm............I visited some friends? <high-pitched voice with inflection at the end> We hung out at a Malibu beach house until the party got busted-up" <walks back to his cubicle, whistling some Bach>

fin

I still wonder why heller make Kirkland has a twin instead of just brother. He might want to emphasize that twin has tighter bond or something but I think it's still the same for brothers imo. Also they don't really need to introduced his twin name or something. The pine thing also bug me. 

Red John is not on the list/or is presumed dead (that leaves Partridge/Haffner). Why?. Patrick Jane - the most brilliant detective from all tv series/movies I've seen (and I believe most of you too) wouldn't just do a random kill on a guy who has 3 dots tatoo on his shoulder. Why? Because he already did that mistake once and I can bet everything that he's not that stupid to do this again. Personally I've been suspecting Partridge since the 1st episode and I hope somehow it's going to be him/Haffner or someone else not from the list. Patrick Jane in one of episodes said to Lisbon that ppl should always trust their feelings. Imho Patrick Jane is pulling something like a "long con" here.
First of all I don't know on what you guys have been building your theories but I thought of reasons that Jane would put these ppl on his list.

1.
Season 1 episode 1 - First scene. We see CBI team doing their investigation, Brett Partridge comes in saying "Red John enters here..." isn't that obvious? What I mean is in my opinion a good writer in most of the times knows an ending of his story, so imho it's obvious that we must have met Red John in season 1.
2.
Among all of the seven suspects he has no authority and power in law enforcement or even resources such as the rest of them. But I'd also bet that he's indeed a member of the Law Enforcement Conspiracy (I like to call this "The L.E.C.").
3.
He was present at each possible Red John crime scene and each time he was wrong in his judgement or atleast he pretended to be. That might have been a thing that Jane noticed.
4.
He perfectly fits Rosalind's description.
5.
Red John said to Patrick that he's about to show him what being clever means. What would be a better way than to guide Patrick to pick 7 names when 1 of them is actually true and then fake your own death. Why am I thinking that Brett's death is a fake? Because they were always showing us how Jane reacts on that smiley face, this time they didnt.
6.
Have you seen Bret Stiles reaction on Jane's words: One of you is Red John?
He lol'd Jane just as he wanted to say - after all this time and clues ppl gave you, you still dont know anything. I dont remember in which episode Stiles said to Jane that he knows more than Jane and RJ think. Also I bet Bret knew about The L.E.C. and thats why he stopped Jane from shooting McAllister. Bret Stiles knew Red John identity. 
7.
Also I've always been thinking that the last season of The Mentalist is going to be a brain war between PJ and RJ and so far all we've got is a random elimination. If all of this isn't a great trick that is suppoused to make us all like "WTF, how is it possible to him to be Red John" then I'll really regret watching this.

There's a facts we can't just ignore it, even if we don't like it.

I like the idea of this site, we all here share what we think we all here to figure who the heck is red john, over 8000 theories that's too much, i bet you never been in this mystery before, a genius work by bruno heller. 

But there's a FACTS we can't ignore, and if it doesn't fit your theory then yours is unlikely. after the last episode obviously we do have now 3 suspects (of course its very likely that RJ someone not in the list ). but if we play like what the writers want, no one fit the clues we have apart from Sheriff thomas. what clues? 

The 100% sure clues, not like some girl saying her killer has a tattoo because we aren't sure if the killer RJ or not, but there's a 100% clues like the ones on this site: 

1- RJ is a man ( all the three suspects fits ) 
2- RJ has an average high just under 6"0 ( we rule out both Bertram ( 6"3 ) and smith ( 6"3 ) Sheriff thomas between 5"9 and 6"0 ) 
3- RJ has short straight hair ( all fits )
4- RJ older than 30 ( all fits )

So the only one who fits all the ( 100% clues ) is Sheriff thomas, BUT also BP and RH fits that clues perfectly, so if we play the writers way RJ can't be Bertram or smith, Just Sheriff thomas from the three suspects fits the 100% clues.

As the promo when Rigsby says RJ killed ( Jane ) and the other suspects and some of you ruled out sheriff thomas because his picture was in the blackboard behind Rigsby, just a really simple question, is PJ really died? its obvious that jane FAKED his death alongside the other suspects but apparently not for long, so i'm 100% sure that jane who explode the house and 100% all of them is fine, for me i don't think it's either one of the three and here is why:

Bertram: obviously he reports everything about the RJ case to someone ( which is likely to be RJ ), If he was RJ then he doesn't need to report anything! others reports to him!, and he doesn't fit the clues.

Smith: bruno heller made it clear that he decided who is RJ from the beginning, and before season 3 finale he said that RJ someone we saw in pervious episodes, smith started in season 5, and he doesn't fit the clues.

Sheriff thomas: He fits the clues and he was there from the beginning, but the last scene when he revealed the three dots tattoo you can see the fear in his eyes and he said:" it's not what what you think, i'm not Red John " RJ can't be like this he will never feel like fool, because he wouldn't show up like PJ said with tattoo on his shoulder.


So here is my guessing:

If RJ one of the three he must be Sheriff thomas, but i think they all know him so the next episode someone of the three will tell PJ who he is and then the hunting will start. 


I'm wondering why bob has a twin? if he is not important then why he didn't just say i had a brother? we a twin?

A twin who is missing from very long time, had a tough childhood, met someone who helped him and then boom disappeared? we all know stiles know who is RJ somehow, for me michael Kirkland is the only one who would make a perfect sense. it's either him or sheriff thomas or of course PARTRIDGE.