So for a long time I have thought that it was Partridge. There was the scene with him and Patrick in season 2 where it shadowed what happened with Patrick and Red John later. Also I know his voice could be changed a bit but Partridge also sounds very similar to him. He often shows up at Red John copy cat murders, but also at regular Red John murders like the girl that had the baby. Patrick put on his list that he was totally macabre which I would have to agree with, but also if you remember Patrick said that Red John was a showman and what better way of putting on a show is there to just play this really nerdy character that seems like he couldn't do anything. Plus he would be putting on a huge performance if he made Lisbon actually think he died right in front of her just so he could divert attention form himself so he could keep killing. Bruno Heller said that Partridge had to die right then and that it was Red John who did it not him. I took this to mean that RJ who is Partridge killed his alter ego and it was just time for that persona to be killed off. Some of the other clues like the 'he is man' haven't quite added up yet, maybe he is many I think that is a pretty good possibility considering how many people he has working for him. One of the biggest questions I still have is how did he know Jane's list of suspects? We figured out that he went to Jane's therapist for the happy memory but how did he get his list? If in fact Jane had a list of 7 suspects before he saw the CD then Red John would have had to of stolen his book and seen inside of it for the list because the one on his wall was fake. Now if you remember in the middle of the season finale of last season Jane says to Lisbon that Bertram was one of his suspects, this was before he saw the CD. Maybe Red John made this CD and that just made Jane question himself and say "hey maybe it isn't Bertram but one of these other guys. I should check them all out." I don't know if Jane ever really had a list of 7 suspects because that is information we as viewers have not been able to see, but if he did then I still don't know if that question is answered. How did he get the list?
So moving on to the other suspects. I don't think it is Reede Smith. His body and way he acts don't really match Red John. He has the dots which means he is definetly a part of the 'Tiger' organization, but he isn't Red John. Something I think a lot of people haven't considered is why he would go and kill Kirkland? It's true that Kirkland thought that 'Tiger' was some organization but he was specifically going to jail for hunting Red John. I think that Red John is the head of the 'Tiger' organization and had Smith go kill Kirkland so that he didn't tell Jane anything. It seems less likely that he would kill him for having a hunch about some secret organization in law enforcement, I mean who would listen to him about that? He would sound like a crazy person to everyone so I don't think he would kill him for that. Even if he told Jane that he thought there was a secret group I don't think it would that matter that much to let him stick around. All he did was create suspicion around Kirkland's murder. Now there is a good chance that Red John has no affiliation to the 'Tiger' group and that Smith simply killed Kirkland for that which could be possible depending on what we find out about the group. Also why would Red John kill someone on Jane's list of 7 it would just wind down the list even more. Unless he was already dead and didn't care or Smith wasn't acting for Red John and had no idea about the list. So Smith is a bad guy and he is a part of the group, but he is not Red John.
I also don't think it was Kirkland for the obvious reason that he is dead. I thought he was hunting Red John but I didn't think he ever was. A lot of people have said they have shown his brother on the show and that his brother is the one that killed that guy in the hospital but it was most certainly Bob. Also if you remember when Bob is talking to that guy he asks him if he recognizes him and then he says he had plastic surgery so that he could look different, so he isn't going to look like his twin whoever that turns out to be. I think Michael could be working for Red John but he isn't Red John himself or it might just be a story line that will be played out in future episodes where Jane comes across him somewhere. They may have just set him up for future episodes. He may be a follower of Red John and it is quite possible RJ could train him so that he takes revenge on Patrick after he is gone.
Then there is Stiles who I think plays a large roll in RJ but again is not RJ himself. It can be seen that in his ritual last week he did a blood with fingers on the face thing which was creepy but I think was actually showing some Visualize cult practices. We all know that RJ was in Visualize sometime ago and would have learned some of these practices, so I think that after a while RJ just started his own cult 'Tiger' and used some very similar practices that are linked to Visualize. I have heard some theory that RJ maybe Stiles son which would be very interesting if true. It makes some sense to me. He was in his father's cult working at this farm and he would also be high up and see some of the actual Visualize secrets from his father like the blood thing but also just the creation of this cult as well, so he may have had a first hand look at how to turn people. It would also make sense as to why Stiles had a note from RJ to give to Patrick. RJ gave the note to his dad to give to Jane. Then you have that note from the last episode that was sent to Stiles just before his ceremony. Jane didn't send it which means RJ had to of sent it to warn him or just give him a heads up. I think that if this is true and that RJ is his son then maybe it was some sort of Dexter Morgan thing where RJ went to his dad and was like I killed these people, which Stiles would have to help his son for fear of anything coming back to him or just not wanting anything to happen to his son. Another thing that makes me think RJ is Partridge is that maybe he changed his last name to get away from his dad a bit. Brett Stiles Jr.? Just changed his last name to avoid the connection and live his own life or something. I kind of think that with Stiles dying if this is true that he will tell Patrick something in the next episode about this since he won't be around any longer to deal with his son and the things that he does. Stiles said that he only had weeks or a month so I could see him revealing stuff to Patrick before he dies. RJ has a lot of resources maybe it is because his father is loaded and can help cover things up. I don't know but it is quite plausible.
Now Sheriff Mcalister to me could be RJ but isn't. In the first episode he was in there was that weird thing with him and Van Pelt and in that episode I thought that he was super creepy and something was off about him. The last few episodes though we have gotten some more character development and I think that maybe he was just honestly trying to help her or something. All I'm saying is that he shaved his mustache and it makes him much less suspicious. He has the three dots so he is in 'Tiger' but as far as how far he is I don't know. He told Jane he wasn't RJ in the last one and I think I believe him. He seems like he wants to help Jane. I would like, and this is just me wanting something to happen, to see him become an ally of Jane's. I think he maybe undercover or trying to infiltrate the 'Tiger' group. When all 3 of them were in that room earlier this season he had an odd look about him and the camera made it seem like something was odd about him there. Smith freaked and Bertram was like hmm but he didn't seem that concerned with Jane knowing anything, and I think it is because he is actually a good guy. I could see him and Jane almost being like old cop and young gun that teaches the old guy. Maybe Mcalister was an undercover and goes to work with them later on in the show after RJ. I don't know that has potential to be funny but also serious at the same time. That is what I would like to see I have no idea if any of that could happen but it would be interesting to me if it were. Again I just don't think there is enough evidence that he has done anything. They make you think he is afraid of heights and that was just to make you think, and then the whistling, but everyone of them whistles so throw that out. Honestly other than the tattoo and the thing with Van Pelt he hasn't got that much tying him to RJ.
Which brings me to Haffner. There is again I think it would be interesting to see him maybe join the team after RJ and he works with them afterwards. He likes Lisbon and to me I just don't see her and Jane getting together, but maybe her and Haffner. That is what I hope happens if it is someone else. Now here is what I think. Haffner is friends with RJ and maybe his number 2 that helps him carry out things. Haffner and Partridge seem to be about the same age and I think that maybe they were in Visualize together and bonded while in there. Partridge tells him some things and he joins him to help RJ cult. One of the reasons I don't think it is him is because he got out smarted by Jane whenever he was the new leader of the team. I feel like RJ wouldn't let Jane outsmart him like Haffner did, and also if he was RJ and the leader of 'Tiger' than his mistakes wouldn't get him booted from the team. He gets really angry about things to quickly. Then again if RJ and 'Tiger' have no correlation than it is quite possible, but as it stands I think he is just RJ friend. I think he helped Partridge frame his death in front of Lisbon which is why she didn't die. Maybe Haffner asked him to spare her. That is why I think the smily on her face instead of the wall. Haffner made sure that RJ didn't kill her. Partridge could have died and so could she but she didn't for some reason. Why? It was either so that she could tell Jane she saw Partridge die or that the friend helping didn't want to kill her. If Partridge is dead what is the point in keeping her alive is what I guess I am getting at. Haffner said in the last episode that he was a Fixer so maybe he helps RJ from time to time. When the girl got killed a few episodes back they said he was taking care of some business. She said the guy had three dots but it is possible he just painted them on before he saw her knowing that she would tell Jane and divert more attention away from himself. That seems like a very clumsy mistake for the actual RJ to make. He could divert attention to 'Tiger' which none of them still really know about until now, and it is possible that Jane sees one guy with tattoo kills him and then that is the end, 'Tiger' keeps going and so does RJ all the while Jane thinks he killed RJ, or is in prison for killing someone else. It is also possible that if RJ doesn't have a connection to 'Tiger' that it was the group that tried to bug Cho's desk instead of RJ.
And then there is Bertram. He is the most likely suspect other than Partridge. In the end of season 3 Jane is meeting with him at the mall and right then and there I thought he might be weird. It was Bertram who made the comment to Jane about the rope that made Jane think the woman climbed down which immedeatly made Jane forget about Bertram. Coincadence that he said that or extremely clever on the part of RJ? Then you have Timothy Carter right there in the food court as well. How would he know where to go and watch Jane? Maybe RJ was wise to what Jane was doing which seems to be the case considering he had that security guard cover up evidence so RJ knew that Jane was going to shoot Carter so maybe Bertram had it all arranged and figured out when he was meeting with Jane. Another thing is that he never gets rid of Jane. Time and time again Jane makes him look bad but he keeps him because Jane 'solves cases'. RJ likes to look good in the public eye which is why I think Partridge more than Bertram because Jane sometimes makes him look very foolish on T.V. and I have a hard time believing RJ would just let that fly. Whenever Jane made fun off Partridge it wasn't really on camera or in front of others so he wouldn't get as worked up about it. Bertram is also still suspected by Patrick in last season's finale. I mentioned it before but the only name we knew for sure of the 7 before the CD was Bertram's. So this is the 2nd time that Patrick has suspected him of something. It is quite possible and I think this is what makes me think it isn't Bertram is that he is just high up in 'Tiger' and that Laroche suspected him because he noticed something odd with Bertram. Jane never really suspected Bertram until he got Laroche's list. I think maybe Bertram played some part in Todd Johnson's death to try and cover up 'Tiger' and make sure no one knew about it. It would make sense that RJ started 'Tiger' but also he just said the poem to Jane. He never actually said tiger tiger. I think it would be bad writing if that were the case but it is something to consider. Smith doesn't strike me as a poetry reader so I doubt he knows the poem so maybe RJ did start 'Tiger' and then go from there. Bertram also has the dots so he is for sure a part of it, I think he maybe a high up in it but not the absolute leader. If RJ was the leader and said cover up my death Bertram would be able to do it so it makes sense. Then there is also if RJ is not a part of it and RJ is Bertram perhaps he killed Partridge and he was trying to give a clue to Lisbon as to who killed him. Then Bertram comes in does his thing to Lisbon and shows up at the crime scene same time as Jane. A lot of this is riding on if Partridge is dead. With no body shown to us the audience it makes just makes me think that this could be right. If Partridge is dead though I would say it is Bertram. It is hard to say exactly who it is without seeing that body.
I think in the next episode we will get Jane and them trying to figure out which one of the 3 or 5 it is that is RJ and uncover the whole 'Tiger' group. Eventually they will figure out that it was none of those guys and be wondering what is going on. At the end of the episode Jane goes to see if Partridge had the tattoo and was also part of the group and when he goes to see the body, which will then satisfy the audience with seeing the body, it won't be there. And then wallah Jane finally figures out the Partridge was RJ, credits roll, stay tuned for our next episode. Then the big RJ episode will be entirely Jane trying to track down the actual RJ that he can now put to a face. I say he interrogates Bertram and gets him to reveal where he is hiding out at. Patrick finds him and they have a lenghty exchange and then Jane kills him.
The other option is that Jane goes to see Partridges body at the almost begging of the next episode and see if has a tattoo and then it will satisfy fans with the body. Then I would say it is Bertram. How they will play that one off is a little harder to tell but that is my prediction.
Final thoughts: if Partridge is dead and we see he is dead then Bertram is Red John. If however we don't see a body and he is missing then Brett Partridge is Red John.
