#starnge cases

The Lead Masks Case 🎭

The victims, Manoel Pereira da Cruz and Miguel José Viana, traveled from Campos dos Goytacazes to Niterói, claiming they were buying materials for work. Instead, they made their way to Morro do Vintém, where a young boy later discovered their bodies lying side by side. Both men were neatly dressed in suits, wore waterproof coats despite clear weather, and had lead masks covering only their eyes. There were no obvious signs of violence or a struggle.

Investigators recovered an empty water bottle, two wet towels, and a notebook containing a puzzling message: "16:30 be at the specified location. 18:30 ingest capsules. After the effect, protect metals. Await signal. Mask." No capsules were ever found, and because the bodies had decomposed significantly before the autopsy, doctors were unable to determine a definitive cause of death.

As detectives dug deeper, they learned the men had been involved with a group interested in spiritualism and unusual scientific experiments. This fueled theories that they were attempting to contact extraterrestrials or spirits while using the lead masks to shield themselves from a brilliant flash of light. Other explanations have suggested accidental poisoning, a failed experiment, or foul play, but none have been proven.