Confirmed: Pruitt Taylor Vince joins cast of 'The Mentalist'

With CBI rocked by a violent Red John-related death on last night's episode of The Mentalist, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) will now have to contend with the possibility that one of his trusted teammates had a hand in the murder. Enter Special Agent J.J. Laroche (Murder One Emmy winner Pruitt Taylor Vince), who arrives December 9 to launch an investigation into suspects Rigsby (Owain Yeoman), Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) and Cho (Tim Kang).

Beginning in January, "each will fall under suspicion and be looked at during the course of various episodes," teases executive producer Tom Szentgyorgyi. The intense probing will uncover secrets about the team and threaten to destroy the Rigsby/Cho/Van Pelt dynamic.

Will one of the three be found guilty of the murder — and have ties to Red John? "I can neither confirm nor deny — I can't even approach that," says Szentgyorgyi. But he does reveal, "In 2011, the investigation will take a startling turn and the team will change dramatically."


Source: TV Guide