Well, Patrick Jane's back story is centered around his family's tragedy. He was a rather charming but devious con artist before. His wife and daughter were killed by Red John. After that, he turned his life around in a way. He joined the CBI. His past experiences as a con man give him an edge in understanding criminal minds. He has a very deep understanding of human nature from his con days which he now uses to help solve crimes. He's constantly haunted by his past and the need to get justice for his family.
Patrick Jane used to be a con man. He was very good at reading people and using that to his advantage in his cons. Then his family was brutally murdered by a serial killer known as Red John. This event completely changed his life. He became obsessed with finding Red John and used his skills, which were formerly for cons, to assist the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) in solving various cases, all while on his personal mission to find and take revenge on Red John.