I've realized something and have changed my mind. Mostly I don't care who RJ is as long as it is original, well written, and mostly lives up to the great mystery that has been created. I also never real cared who others think RJ is or want RJ to be (even the people who saw Partridge die on screen and still think he will come back from the dead).

What I realized tho, and please take no offense (though I can understand if some do), but when he hear people wanting Mashburn, Stiles, or Partridge, to be RJ, I think they dont realize they are rooting for a cliche. The reason the "rich guy secret killer," or "forensics guy killer," or the charismatic spiritual leader hidden criminal mastermind" are all cliches, is because they've been done very well and written well on many shows and movies. When I see folks putting their theories out there I can't help but think, "I bet this guy forgot that they saw a similar character on a similar show and it was a good twist." The problem with any of those three being RJ, is that it will be fairly unoriginal and very cliche. Even the "small town sheriff secret murderer" is a bit cliche...sorry Xander.

I am also in the "anybody but Reed" camp, but even if it turns out to be him, I may not be dissapointed if they write/develop the hell out of the backstory and it is original.

Originally I thought Hafner was a lazy character add by Heller to add another red herring and I really thought Partride was RJ until we saw him die and watched as Lisbon pretty much confirmed he was dead. Next, I thought Hafner was RJ (so many clues and descriptions fit and it feels right). Whats changed is that even though I didnt care if it really was Hafner, I do now. I really want it to be Hafner.

I feel like if I took over now, Heller has set it up perfectly that I could right one hell of an original backstory and conclusion. To see Hafner's mostly bland character with no real typical Hollywood serial killer cliche show another side and completely transform to be RJ could be a marvelous thing to watch.

See Simon and Reed Diamond lock eyes during the kill scene. See the devious side of Hafner that none of us can really imagine until its shown to us by the actor on the TV. could be a very cool thing, and it would be very original.

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Its hugh haffner! The tyger tyger group are copy cats that pretend to be red john, everyone who has the tyree dots is in tyger tyger, they are a group of corrupt cops and people that are paid to cover up things.red john was aware of all this and he hates the group which is why he killed partridge(hes dead), and he wants jane to subconciously help him do it. He does this by showing the girl he killed the tatoo with the three dots(which he new members of tyger tyger all had, so he put on a fake one which could eisily be removed) he would never be so clumsy to leavd her alive if he didnt want her to see the tatoo, also when patrick told every one to show their shoulders to everyone, he was the first to reveal he didnt have and ran his finger horzontaly across his arm where the tatoo should have been. coincidence? I think not, there is no way he could have just known the orientation of the tatoo. Hafner also fits the characteristics for red john, it cant be any of the three with the tatoos since bertram and smith aer both kind of fat and not very agile, and mcalistor isnt afriad of heighgs and he also said straight to janes face that he isnt red john, partridge was the leader of tyger group and prepared the crime scenes to look like red johns work

I think Theory #10369 may have hit the nailhead pointing out that while Brett Partridge will appear in 6x08, Bob Kirkland won't.

Call me crazy, but this can be too good or too bad for the show. On one hand, and just as 10369 says, it could mean that RJ is Partridge, which by now and sadly is a serious possibility, On the other hand, Partridge could participate in a flashback, most surely in red John's flashback / confession, when he says why or how the forensics guy got killed

So, I think this is very, very important: If Partridge will appear in RJ's confession flashback and Kirkland won't, this can only mean that Kirkland's death wasn't on RJ's account, a definitive proof that tyger tyger and red john are not the exact same thing..

Theories need explanation, for that they are theories. Just saying "Brett Partridge is Red John" doesn't make much of a theory. It does not point out why any other suspect can most definitely not be Red John, and why it has to be Brett Partridge.

I am under the impression that Red John is Ray Haffner. Partridge is a creep and a workaholic. He loved his work far too much, and the honesty with which he said "I am stoked to finally see one in the flesh" in S01E01 is a convincing argument that Partridge is not Red John. Also, try to watch back S06E01. Partridge was lying, dead as far as we knew at the time, on the floor. Lisbon got up, looked at the door and looked back. She was snatched from behind right at that moment. You did not hear a sound which would imply Partridge got up, and he couldn't have done it without making a sound in the time span that he got whilst Lisbon was looking away. Also, he couldn't have kicked her down with his own feet, since Lisbon was standing near his head (she crouched to examine his face, the close-up in which Partridge said "Tyger, Tyger" tells us as much. Also, how would that door open up itself?

In S06E02, the body of Partridge was found. There was no particulars on the body and he was dead alright. If he weren't dead, the coroner would've noticed and otherwise we would've noticed it later in the episodes if the coroner never actually received the body and Partridge is still alive, which would be implication of the situation. Brett Partridge must be dead. I refuse to accept otherwise, it possibly can't be.Partridge wouldn't be Red John. The series have continued after that episode and the goose chase to find out who Red John actually is, is still on its tracks. It would be very lame, not impossible, but lame, if Partridge turned out to be Red John and the whole scene and preparation for the scene at Jane's house were all for nothing.

Partridge is dead.

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I posted this on a theory revolving around Brett Partridge. It does not prove Ray Haffner is Red John, it just rules out one of the most prominent suspects, Brett Partridge. However, I do believe Haffner is Red John. We will see. Please do not rate this theory as a theory to prove why Haffner is Red John, but as a theory why Brett Partridge most certainly isn't.

I really like the "mental" theories on this website..I honestly have no idea how people can come up with some stuff in such detail and how enthusiastic they are..

My head is so full of the 7 suspects that it's quite refreshing to sometimes read theories where someone accuses Luther Wainwright ("the little boy" -dead) or Ellis Mars or Dr Steiner (dead)..:D

What are we going to do when Red John is gone?? It's so much fun to guess! :)

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Whom are they looking to?