The Lead Masks Case
August 1966 – Vintém Hill, Brazil
On August 20, 1966, a teenage boy flying a kite on Morro do Vintém, a hill just outside Rio de Janeiro, made a grisly discovery.
There, side-by-side in the grass, lay the bodies of two men. Both were dressed in suits, wearing waterproof raincoats, and most bizarrely, each had a homemade lead mask over their eyes — like welding goggles without lenses.
Nearby were a notebook, a plastic water bottle, and a bag containing towels.
No injuries.
No signs of struggle.
No immediate cause of death.
Just silence — and lead masks.
Who Were They?
The men were soon identified as Manoel Pereira da Cruz and Miguel José Viana, both electronics technicians from the town of Campos dos Goytacazes, about 200 km away.
They had told family they were heading to Niterói to buy materials for work. They took a bus, bought waterproof coats, and a bottle of water at a bar. That’s the last time they were seen alive.
The waitress recalled that Miguel seemed very nervous, constantly checking his watch.
The Cryptic Notes
In the notebook police found near the bodies, one entry stood out:
"16:30 be at the determined place.
18:30 ingest capsules, after effect protect metals await signal mask."
That’s it.
What capsules? What metals?
What “signal”?
What did the lead masks protect them from?
No pills were found at the scene, and no toxic substances were detected in autopsies (though analysis was limited by the state of decomposition).
Theories: Ritual, UFOs, or Science Experiment Gone Wrong?
1. Occult or spiritual ritual
Many believe the men were part of a spiritualist group or secret society. Some reports suggest they were trying to contact extraterrestrials or communicate with spirits using radio waves. The lead masks were thought to protect against a “radiation flash” from this encounter.
2. Accidental overdose
Perhaps they took drugs to induce a spiritual vision and overdosed. But no drug residues were found, and the scene seemed calm — not chaotic.
3. Electromagnetic experiment
Given their backgrounds as electronics technicians, maybe they attempted a DIY energy experiment, possibly involving electromagnetic fields, visions, or radio signals. But if so, why on a hillside, and why lead masks over closed eyes?
4. Elaborate suicide or assisted death
If they believed in a spiritual goal (ascension, communication, escape), the event may have been a ritualized suicide. But again, there’s no evidence of pain, fear, or drugs.
Unsettling Details
- Towels near the body may have been to lie down on, or to cover radiation-sensitive items.
- Some claim a third man was involved — a "spiritual guide" who may have instructed them.
- The “ingest capsules” part suggests pre-planned behavior, but no one knows what was taken, if anything.
To this day, no witnesses have come forward, and no forensic evidence has explained how or why they died.
Still Unsolved
**Two men climbed a hill with suits, coats, and lead masks.
They waited for a sign.
And died waiting — their eyes covered from something no one ever saw.**
Over half a century later, the Lead Masks Case remains one of the most bizarre unsolved mysteries in the world — with no evidence of violence, no toxins, and no explanation.