Why was he called The Playing Card Killer? (and 5 Other Questions)

When I started watching The Playing Card Killer, one of my first questions was, “Why didn’t they dub him the Tarot Card Killer instead?”

I think it was the card on the cover that drew me to the docuseries to begin with. The cover leading this post differs slightly from Netflix’s TV and online platforms. Those covers sport a Two of Cups.

The difference in the number of cups on the cards doesn’t matter. But the “cups” themselves threw me. It’s why I struggled to reconcile the show’s title at first.

The Playing Card Killer Title: Lost in Translation?

Before this show, as far as I knew, cups were usually found on tarot cards, not on a “regular” deck of playing cards. In fact, in the first episode, they show archival footage from a news/discussion-type show where experts discuss the meaning of the Ace of Cups card and what significance they might hold to the killings.

But were they analyzing it in a tarot sense? Did something get lost in translation as far as the title went? Because it is a Spanish true crime documentary. Its original title is El asesino de la baraja.

“El asesino” means “the murderer” in Spanish. “La baraja” means “deck.”

But “la baraja” refers to cards unique to Spain, specifically “la baraja española (the Spanish deck).” An unlikely source provided an explanation for how these cards very much are playing cards, even though they share a similarity with tarot cards.

Insure and Go explained the Spanish deck is “a 40-card set which misses some of the numbers” contained in a regular deck of cards. It also contains “completely different suits.” Well, except for clubs. But instead of diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs, la baraja española has coins, cups, swords, and clubs. (Coins, cups, and swords are often found in tarot card suits, too.)

Each la baraja española suit contains ten cards, but the numbered cards span from one to seven and depict the number of whatever the suit is. (So a three of coins would show three coins, and a three of cups will show three cups, etc.)

Instead of numbers, cards eight through ten depict nobility: a prince (instead of what we’d consider a Jack), a knight on a horse (instead of a queen), and a king.

So, nope. The title was not lost in translation. It was dead on.

Why didn’t they call him the Tokarev killer?

One investigator explained the media, as they often do, dubbed the serial killer the Playing Card Killer because of the calling card he left at the crime scenes. If it had been up to the investigator, he would’ve called him the Tokarev Killer after the type of gun he used.

However, he also admitted that publically revealing the make of the gun could’ve jeopardized their investigation. The type of weapon was key to tracking him down because it was a Russian-made gun not commonly found in Spain. They realized it likely belonged to someone with a military background, info they kept close to the chest. If the killer knew they were looking for someone with that kind of weapon and background, he surely would’ve hidden both.

Who was the Playing Card Killer?

In 2003, police arrested Alfredo Galán Sotillo for killing six people and attempting to kill three others.

I’ve decided to simply refer to him as “the killer” rather than use his name throughout this post. Too often we glamorize serial killers. This is my attempt not to give him the infamy he sought.

Was he really Spain’s first serial killer?

Spain is even older than the U.S., and serial killers are not unique to the States. So, of course, he wasn’t Spain’s first serial killer.

Then why did I think he was? Because of the synopsis that Netflix shared:

Alfredo Galán Sotillo killed six people and tried to kill three others becoming the Spanish first serial killer. He chose his victims randomly and kill them with a pistol he illegally brought to Spain from Bosnia where he was with the Spanish Army on a humanitarian mission. He was sentenced to 142 years in prison. He will serve the maximum, 25 years. He will be released from prison when he is 52 years.

Since it reads rough, I’m betting there was something lost in the translation from Spanish to English when the synopsis was composed. I watched via TV and read the description that accompanied the show there:

In this true crime documentary series, journalists, investigators and victims discuss the crimes of the Playing Card Killer.

However, if I’d read the longer synopsis, I might not have been so surprised with what was revealed at the end as far as his sentencing goes.

How come he’s being released after 25 years even though he was sentenced to 142?

The part about his sentencing in the synopsis was not lost in translation. At the end of the last episode, it says he’ll be released in 2028 after having served 25 years in jail. It didn’t say why that would the case, though.

However, I found an answer on High on Films. They explained that “he will be released in 2028 after 25 years in prison since Spanish law cites that maximum prison time is 25 years.”

No wonder so many people have had a WTF?! reaction to this docuseries.

Has any other serial killer ever left playing cards as his (or her) calling card?

Yes! According to Criminal Element, the Beltway Sniper left Tarot cards with his victim. Specifically, the Death card with a message scrawled on the back:

“For You Mr. Police. Code: Call me God. Do not release to the press.”

For More Info

Visit https://www.netflix.com.

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Have you seen The Playing Card Killer? Did it leave you asking any questions?