The Lead Masks Case
On August 20, 1966, two Brazilian electronic technicians were found dead on a hill, wearing suits, waterproof coats, and homemade lead eye masks. Beside them lay notes about ingesting capsules and waiting for a 'signal.' No cause of death was ever determined. The case remains Brazil's strangest mystery.
The Lead Masks Case is one of the most bizarre unsolved deaths in history. Two men, dressed in suits and waterproof coats despite the summer heat, were found dead on a hillside in Brazil, wearing crude lead masks over their eyes. Notes beside them suggested a ritual of some kind - capsules to be ingested at a specific time, then waiting for a “signal.” No one knows what signal they expected, what killed them, or why they died wearing lead masks.
The Discovery
On August 20, 1966, a boy flying a kite on Vintem Hill in Niterói, Brazil discovered two bodies lying in the tall grass. The men appeared to have been there for several days.
They were dressed formally - suits, ties, and waterproof coats - despite the August heat. Over their eyes, each wore a crude mask fashioned from lead, with oval eyeholes cut out. The masks resembled crude welder’s goggles.
Beside them lay:
- A notebook containing cryptic notes
- An empty water bottle
- Two wet towels
The notebook contained instructions: “Be at the determined place at 4:30 pm. At 6:30 pm ingest the capsules. After the effect, protect metals and wait for the signal.”
The Victims
The two men were identified as:
Manoel Pereira da Cruz (32): An electronics technician from Campos dos Goytacazes
Miguel José Viana (34): An electronics technician, also from Campos dos Goytacazes
The two men knew each other and worked in the same field. On August 17, 1966, they had told family members they were going to São Paulo to buy supplies for their work and a used car. Instead, they traveled to Niterói.
Their movements on August 17 were partially traced:
- They bought the waterproof coats at a store (an odd purchase in summer)
- They bought a bottle of water at a bar
- They were seen heading toward Vintem Hill
After that, nothing is known until the discovery of their bodies.
The Investigation
The case was plagued by investigative failures:
- No autopsies were performed (the coroner’s office was backlogged)
- By the time the medical examiner arrived, the bodies had been buried
- No toxicology was conducted to determine if the “capsules” caused their deaths
- The lead masks were lost or misplaced
- The notebook was preserved but never fully analyzed
Without autopsies, the cause of death remains officially unknown. The men may have been poisoned (intentionally or accidentally), died of natural causes, or been murdered.
The Theories
Suicide Pact: The men may have deliberately killed themselves as part of a ritual, believing the capsules would transport them elsewhere.
Attempted Contact: Some investigators believe the men were attempting to contact extraterrestrials or spiritual beings. The “signal” may have referred to UFOs or otherworldly communication. The lead masks might have been protection against expected radiation or bright light.
Murder: The men could have been lured to the hill and killed, with the scene staged to look ritualistic.
Accidental Death: If the men ingested psychedelics or other substances expecting a spiritual experience, they may have died of overdose or adverse reaction.
Occult Ritual: Both men were reportedly interested in spiritualism and the occult. The ritual may have been an attempt to achieve enlightenment or transcendence that went fatally wrong.
The Spiritist Connection
Brazil has a strong spiritist tradition, and both men were reportedly interested in scientific spiritualism - the attempt to contact spiritual beings through technical means. Their electronic background may have led them to believe they could create devices for spiritual communication.
Other members of their informal group (which included electronics technicians interested in spiritualism) reported that the men had attempted similar experiments before, ingesting psychoactive substances while waiting for contact.
The Lead Masks
The lead masks remain the case’s most puzzling element. Why lead? Why shaped like eye protection?
Possible explanations:
- Protection against expected bright lights (from UFOs or spiritual beings)
- Part of a ritual costume
- Misguided radiation protection
- Purely symbolic meaning known only to the participants
The masks were crude - clearly homemade, cut from sheet lead. Whatever their purpose, the men believed they needed them.
Legacy
The Lead Masks Case has become Brazil’s most famous unsolved mystery, inspiring documentaries, books, and ongoing investigation. Without the autopsy evidence that was never collected, the truth will likely never be known.
Two men climbed a hill wearing lead masks, followed instructions from their own notes, and died waiting for a signal that may or may not have come.