Plot summary
After the death of a Santa, the CBI follows leads that take them to an AA group and the National Society of Authentic Santas. Meanwhile, when Todd Johnson, a person in custody, dies, the Professional Services Unit (PSU) investigator, J. J. LaRoche ( Pruitt Taylor Vince ), questions Patrick about the death of Johnson, he is a major suspect as he was the last person to see him alive. Patrick, avoiding LaRoche, reaches out to retired CBI Supervising Minelli ( Gregory Itzin ), who agrees to provide information to Patrick when he reveals Johnson was a member of Red John's network, a fact Red John himself does not know, which finally gives Patrick the advantage.
Credits
Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, The Mentalist season 3. HTML formatting and reference markers removed.