Although at first Alfredo Galán reportedly confessed to the nine shooting attacks in Madrid and six killings he later retracted his confession and claimed he was innocent. The first person Galán killed was Juan Francisco Ledesma, after a home invasion, and in front of the victim’s toddler son. Some survived gunshots by Galán at point-blank range attack, and would later help identify their assailant. It was eventually learned that everyone who was shot was chosen at random.
Besides the playing card pattern, another aspect common to the Playing Card Killer’s crimes was the gun: a Soviet-style, 7.6mm Tokarev pistol, according to Scenic Rights. Galán had served in the Balkans. According to Galán, he later said he only confessed because a neo-Nazi allegedly warned he would kill Galáns sisters unless he confessed to the shootings. He also said the Tokarev pistol was sold to the same unnamed neo-Nazi.
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Galán had a cartridge matching the gun used in the crime spree in his possession which was also found in close proximity to clothing matching crime scene evidence. Before Galán’s confession, another veteran of the Spanish military was arrested in connection with the killings. He was later determined to be innocent and released.
