If there's one thing Netflix does well, it's a gripping true crime documentary... and The Playing Card Killer is the latest in a long line of shows that promises to have you gripped from the very first episode.
Following on from true crime documentaries such as The Girl in the Picture, Texas Killing Fields and I Just Killed My Dad, The Playing Card Killer focuses on Alfredo Galán, the most infamous serial killer in Spain’s history, who spread panic and terror throughout Madrid in 2003.
Based on the chilling true story that saw Alfredo Galán kill six people and try to kill three others, The Playing Card Killer reveals how Spain's most notorious serial killer sparked a media frenzy as the police tried to catch the man who became notorious for leaving a single playing card by the body of each of his victims.
But how much of the new Netflix documentary is true? Here's everything you need to know about The Playing Card Killer...
How to watch The Playing Card Killer
The Playing Card Killer is a three-part documentary and i available to stream worldwide on Netflix now.
Is the Playing Card Killer based on a true story?
Yes, the Playing Card Killer was a real-life killer who caused terror in Spain twenty years ago. His unique modus operandi was to identify his crimes with Spanish playing cards, all in the suit of Cups (the other Spanish playing card suits are Coins, Clubs and Swords), which he left by the bodies of all his victims.
This signature move ignited a media frenzy while also provoking public hysteria, and left police with the biggest manhunt in living history on their hands.
What is The Playing Card Killer on Netflix about?
This documentary offers a fresh perspective on the investigation and media frenzy that surrounded the most famous serial killer in Spain’s history.
The three-part series offers testimonies and never-seen-before material on the case twenty years after it happened... while also disclosing the huge media attention the case generated and dissecting the investigation into the murders.
We will hear from journalists, lawyers and some of the suspect’s closest family members, as well as survivors who were targeted by the killer, sharing their experience of the investigation and providing a new perspective on the case that has never been heard before.
The official synopsis from Netflix says: "Over three episodes, the docuseries dissects a case interwoven with social panic, political tension and media pressure, along with an investigation that seemed to be grasping at straws: hurried arrests, chaotic hotlines, and failed police lineups, among other elements, which lend the narration the air of an authentic thriller."
Who is the Playing Card Killer?
Alfredo Galán, better known as The Playing Card Killer, claimed six lives during his two-month reign of terror in Spain between January and March 2003. Born in Puertollano, Spain, little is known about his early life, but in his adult life Galán became a military man, serving in the Spanish Army in 1998. He later became a corporal in the Parachute Regiment of Alcalá de Henares and participated in humanitarian missions in Bosnia.
Was the Playing Card Killer caught?
Yes, after he went on a two-month killing spree around Madrid at the age of 26, Alfredo Galán eventually turned himself in to the police in July 2003. He had smuggled the gun into Spain by hiding it inside of a television set. It is believed he had brought the Tokarev TT-33 gun to Spain from Bosnia when he was in the military.
Where is Alfredo Galán now?
Alfredo Galánwas sentenced to 142 years in prison after being found guilty of six murders and three attempts of homicide. He is currently serving his sentence in a Spanish jail.
Is there a trailer for the Playing Card Killer?
Yes, there is a trailer, which you can watch on the official Netflix website. The trailer sees various news reports that were aired during Alfredo Galánwas's reign of terror and members of the investigation team talking about his crimes.
