Who is Red John?

All theories about

« See the other suspects

Unrevealed suspect

Unrevealed suspect
Suspected in 1k+ theories

THE THEORIES

My theory is about how did RJ made the exact same list like PJ did. I dunno if someone already posted this but here it goes:

Theory: Lorelei is still alive
Supporting Details: 
-you can see an "ALIVE" word painted before PJ saw the "fake dead body" of Lorelei.
-Lorelei's wound is not shown. She is just covered with a blanket full of blood. And she is naked so no one can take the blanket off.
-Kirkland is in charge of the crime scene which i assume that is an accomplice of RJ if not RJ himself because of the fact that he killed Lennon.

That's why Kirkland breaks into PJ's room, steal the list, made video of Lorelei and then pass the video to the girl in CSP who also works for RJ and when caught killed herself through a pill.

Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely

Red John is the son of Timothy Farragut, the founder of Visualize. From the list of suspects, this makes him most likely Bob Kirkland or possibly Brett Partidge (though that seems too obvious to me).

Here's the basic theory: The Mentalist is playfully written - it presents us with puzzles, symbols, metaphors, allusions, psychological doubles and wordplay - classic literary techniques. The big clue about Red John is in the names....

RJ assumes the pseudonym Roy Tagliaferro, which we're told means 'cut iron'. He has been associated with Bret Stiles and Visualize from an early stage and season 7 episode confirms that he has been at some point a member of the cult (and probably still is). He uses cult techniques to control his followers and the language he uses to persuade is very much a mirror of the language used by that of Visualized, too; it's a fair assumption.

This episode also gives us his approximate age: he's described a 'a kid' some 20 years previously. There's a suggestion that Ray Haffner is a contemporary. The constant 'doubling' with Jayne also suggests strongly that he and RJ are of a similar age (and mentality - they are the darkness and the light of the same personality, in a sense). So this rules out the likes of Stiles from the list (too old) and Partridge (too young). Partridge is, however, very likely a 'friend' and probably lends RJ the voice that he uses publicly. Partridge may also be the son of Stiles - so, a 'brother' to RJ in an almost literal sense.

Why? Look at the names. Tagliaferro (cut iron)/Farragut ('iron gut'). The writers have almost given it to us on a plate here. Red John is the son of Timothy Farragut, the founder of Visualise who was murdered by Stiles. Don't be surprised if we discover that RJ was raised almost as Stiles' own son within the cult and therefore assumed special status. Being as intelligent as he is, he more than likely knows that Stiles killed his father, but their relationship is a complex one; each fears the other, but their destinies are somehow bound together. RJ is the twisted product of Bret Stiles murderous tyranny and manipulation, a being who has grown somewhat out of control and is developing his own cult within a cult with a purpose that is as yet unclear - but it does seem to go to the heart of the US justice system.

He more than likely has complete access to the Visualize 'confessions', hence his knowledge of Patrick's happy memory (revealed by Patrick's doctor, more than likely a Visualised member). He could have worked out Patrick's list himself; he would know which of his surviving 'friends' Patrick has met and shaken hands with and would know that Jayne will have worked this out for himself. It's a bluff, a scare tactic.

What Patrick has is a list of Red John and his six key lieutenants and RJ knows he's getting way too close now, so he needs to scare him, play Patrick at his own mind games. But which is RJ? I'm plumping for Kirkland. Why? A double bluff from the writers, who are playing games with us. They've given him to us knowing that we're going to speculate and doubt and say 'No, that's too easy.' It ain't too easy. It's Kirkland. Think about the scene in the hospital where he killed the guy who could have identified him. 'Do you know who I am?' he asks. That's the loyalty test for members - deny all knowledge, even on pain of death, even to Red John himself. It's like Peter denying Jesus. Kirkland's the man, and he's a maniac.


Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely

Hello , there are some inevitable facts that people must  know before make a theory , :

The SEVEN list of suspects is REAL , Red Jhon is one of them, Why ? because the senarist of the show said that this list is legit and Red jhon is there. 

Bob kirkland: is not Red Jhon , why ? because of 1 simple reason,Red jhon found the list before Kirklan does , in fact Kirkland is searching for Red Jhon.

Bret Stiles : is not Red Jhon , why ? because he is too old , and we know that Red has the same age as Patrick .

Gale bertram : is not Red Jhon , why ? same reason ,because he is too old , and we know that Red has the same age as Patrick .

Lorelei : she is so dead there is no question about it .

the other suspects could be anyone of them, Red Jhon.

Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely

Hi, before all, I want to say that I don't know who Red John is, but I just want to expose a theory: I've been reading some theories that say that the Lorelei's death was a fake, and it sounded perfectly probable to me. Now, assuming this is true, I started to wonder, and I remembered the episode (I don't remember wich one) when Patrick puts a little thing in the door to check if anyone entered. Later, he founds it on the floor, so, someone entered. Patrick suspected that guys from Homeland Security,or someone connected to Red John (I take as a fact that Kirkland works for Red John) was going to break into his "apartment", that's why he put the "thing"(sorry, I don't know how it's called) in the door.  Now, here is my theory: Patrick, who suspected they were going to enter to his apartment, prepairs everything for the Red John's "disciples" , to find, even a false list with 7 suspects, without RJ's name on it. This way, RJ thinks he is one step ahead of Patrick, when he actually is behind him. In case Red John isn't on the list, I don't know who would be, but I know (I think, actuallty) that  Patrick ISN'T RJ, and the same for Teresa, Rigsby, or any team member.
The thing that "destroys" my theory , is Bruno Heller saying that Red John is one of the 7 suspects on the list. In that case, my main suspect would be Partridge, but i'm not sure anyway
Still, I can't find out how he knew about Patrick's memory, it just creeps me out, haha.
Well, I believe  I don't have anything else to say.
And sorry if my writing is not that goos, English isn't my mother language, thank you.

Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely

I don't think Bruno Heller has decided who RJ actually is, he just put clues there and then to secure some actual field of reality, just in case. I think he'll decide later.

Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely

I do not know who RJ is. But I don't think it is any of the people on the list. nor do i think it is one of Jane's friends or himself. I believe that the writers are just trying to throw everyone off by creating that list, and that it is someone that no one has thought of...

Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely

What are the odds that Lorelai didn't go to RJ and came back to Patrick after shooting Lennon, gave him  a clue about RJ or told him who RJ is and then for some reason Patrick made a plan to fake Lorelai's death and the video? (maybe in order to test/mislead Lisbon because RJ is someone working at the CBI really close to both of them).

Why do i think this? Well first of all, Lorelai's death scene didn't seem as RJ, there was not cut, the RedFace seemed weird, then this will be explain how "RJ" knows in the video the seven names and Patrick's happy memory and then the most weird clue is the chair that is used in the video: it's the same chair that we saw in every interrogation room at the CBI (i don't think this is random). The chair brings out 2 posibilities: Red John works/has access to the CBI Building or Patrick Jane made the video.

Argue on this theory or rate it.
plausible
unlikely
Follow us on