Where is Alfredo Galán now? We discuss the Netflix true crime series The Playing Card Killer and the serial killer it is based on.
Often with true crime shows, there is a hook that the producers find that they can hang the whole series on. Spanish Netflix true crime series The Playing Card Killer is the perfect example.
The story of a notorious Spanish serial killer was just waiting for a true crime series, and the wait is over, as the show is ready to watch on Netflix.
The series starts with footage from the real news reports that went out covering the killer’s horrific spree, and in the opening seconds of the montage, we are told, “The puzzle begins with an Ace of Cups placed at the victim’s feet.”
Already, the producers know that a killer that leaves a playing card next to the body of their victims already brings up images of fictional murdering monsters, and Batman’s long-term nemesis, The Joker, does spring to mind.
The media in Spain was all over the case, and when playing cards were found at the murders, it must have been looked at by newspapers and TV reporters as the “story of the year.”
This article will give you all the answers to the unbelievable events and answer the question, where is Alfredo Galán now?
Who is Alfredo Galán, and what did he do?
Alfredo Galán is a Spanish serial killer known as The Playing Card Killer. His crime spree and reign of terror would take the lives of six people, and three others would be wounded in attacks. His twisted campaign would last from January to March 2003.
Alfredo was from Puertollano, a small town in the South of Spain. He was born in 1978 and lost his mother at the age of ten. His father would bring him up, but it was reported that his upbringing lacked proper balance, and by twenty, he had enlisted in the armed forces.
Alfredo would be involved in an incident with a commanding officer that would leave him in the hospital and on medication. After this, he would be discharged on medical grounds, taking medication and drinking.
A smuggled gun from his time in the army would become the weapon he would use for his murders and attacks.
Where is Alfredo Galán now?
Alfredo was jailed after walking into a police station and confessing to being The Playing Card Killer. Bizarrely the police were unable to find any solid leads in the case despite having much to work with. They knew the gun used was rare, and they knew the bullets matched other attacks, but they could not pinpoint the killer.
A connection with the army was made, the rare gun was Russian, and there had been army deployments in Russia, leading them to correctly assume the killer was ex-forces, but the heat was on for the police to make an arrest.
A suspect known as Fichaje was arrested, he matched the profile and had been a paratrooper in Bosnia, but there was no objective evidence to link him to any of the murders, and he was released.
The investigation was stalling, but the real killer would just hand himself in in an almost theatrical twist of fate. Alfredo had been drunk when he did this, and the next day tried to retract his confession, which included details of the crimes only the police and the killer could have known.
Why is Alfredo Galán called The Playing Card Killer?
A playing card, the Ace of Cups, was found at the feet of one of the first victims, leading to huge speculation from media outlets. In subsequent murders, other cards would also be found, leading to the nickname the killer would receive.
Again, bizarrely, the killer would state that the card being dropped was an accident, not intended to mean anything. Still, after the media frenzy about the detail, he left other cards to perpetuate the narrative.
How long is Alfredo Galán’s prison sentence?
He would be sentenced to a hundred and forty-two years and three months in jail. However, there does seem to be a maximum jail time in Spain, which means Alfredo may only serve twenty-five years of that sentence.
