18 year old Jorge da Costa Alves was flying a kite on Vintém Hill when he noticed two dead bodies lying on the hillside. Both men were dressed in formal suits, covered with raincoats, and wore lead masks over their eyes. Alves reported the scene to police, triggering an investigation that would later be known as the Lead Masks Case.
Near the suburban neighbourhoods of Niterói sat Morro do Vintém – a steep, vegetation-covered hill. The difficult terrain delayed the authorities, who required time to reach the site. The police, firefighters, and reporters gathered at the scene after nearly a two-hour climb to examine the bodies and the evidence.
Vintém Hill, site of the event (credit: Cruzeiro Magazine, May 4, 1968)
The police noted several unusual details when examining the bodies. Both men were dressed in business suits and nylon raincoats, and beside them lay a package containing an empty water bottle and two small towels. They also carried a significant bit of cash in a plastic bag, estimated at around 3,000,000 Cruzeiro, though different sources cite different amounts. One of the men had a handkerchief with the initials “A.M.S”.
After inquiry regarding the initials, both families denied that the handkerchief belonged to either of the men hence the police could not identify any acquaintance or family having the initials A.M.S.
The most striking detail was the lead masks covering their eyes, with no clear explanation for their purpose. The masks were thin sheets of lead that appeared to have been cut by hand.
The crude lead masks (credit: Cruzeiro Magazine, September 12, 1966)
Authorities also found a small notebook, which proved to be the central piece of evidence in the case. One page of the notebook contained equations. Detective Hélio Brasil Álvares conceded that the symbols and equations could be nothing more than codes identifying electronic valves used on TV sets, although details regarding this remain obscure.
Part of the note note with codes (credit: Linha Direta TV documentary, 2004) Another page read a set of instructions in Portuguese which roughly translates to,
“16:30 be at specified place
18:30 ingest capsules after the effect
protect metals wait for signal mask”
The note with written instructions (credit: Linha Direta TV documentary, 2004)
There was also a page that described a prescription of capsules and when they are meant to be taken.
“Sunday 1 capsule after meal
Monday 1 capsule in the morning, while fasting
Tuesday 1 capsule after meal
Wednesday 1 capsule when laying down”
The incident occurred on August 17th 1966 which was a Wednesday. It was reported a few days later. The men were found lying on local palm tree leaves at the time of their death.
The bodies as found on the scene (credit: Cruzeiro Magazine, May 4, 1968)
Police identified the dead men as Manoel Pereira da Cruz, 32, and Miguel José Viana, 34 from the documents they found with them.
José Venâncio Bittencourt and Idovan Ferreira led the investigation as officers of the local Police Station. The post‑mortem investigation was widely criticised as negligent. Reports at the time claimed that established protocols were not followed during the examination. The bodies were not properly preserved, leading to rapid deterioration.
In addition to this, the forensic office lacked the necessary reagents required, which delayed toxicological tests, leaving investigators unable to determine what exactly had killed the men. The one concrete finding from the examination was that there were no signs of attack, struggle, or physical harm on the bodies.
An official report by Dr Lima stated, “There is no evidence of external injuries or violence on the bodies. Toxicology results indicate the presence of barbiturates, which may have induced a state of unconsciousness. The purpose of the lead masks remains unclear, but could be related to a ritualistic or symbolic act.”
A few days later, Miguel’s brother Herval Viana went to the coroner’s office in Niterói to
claim the bodies. He mentioned that both men were frequent travellers, often going to São Paulo to purchase goods. He believed that they had been robbed and murdered, but evidence suggested otherwise.
Meanwhile Miguel’s added, “Miguel often told me about a very important experiment he was going to make. In the last few days, as he seemed quiet, with a worried expression on his face, I soon realised that the moment had come. Then he went on that sudden trip, in the company of Manuel. Why? I still don’t know exactly what happened, but I know that it all has to do with the seemingly meaningless things he used to tell me.”
Other relatives stated that the men seemed normal and had no reason to be involved in criminal or scientific activities. Miguel and Manoel were buried at Caju cemetery, in Campos dos Goytacazes, where they originally lived.
Despite the strange circumstances of their deaths, the family lives of Miguel José Viana and Manoel Pereira da Cruz were described as normal. Miguel was married to Elsa Gomes Viana, and Manuel was married to Neli da Cruz. Both of them had attended Electronic Courses at Sao Paulo. Miguel had even completed a correspondence course from the US. They worked as TV and Radio specialists and were highly regarded in their fields.
The night before the incident, Miguel had told Elsa that he and Manoel will be heading to Sao Paulo due to work. The next day, however, they took the bus to Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro.
Bus ticket for seat 26, used by Miguel or Manuel (credit: Linha Direta TV documentary, 1990)
Niterói is about 175 miles (282 kilometers) from Campos dos Goytacazes. Around 2:30 p.m., the men stepped off the bus. It is unclear if they had met anyone else up until now. The last time they were seen was shortly after 3 p.m., when they entered the vegetation on Vintém Hill.
Before visiting the hill, they stopped by at a few places. First, they visited an electronics store called Fluscop to buy some components. They then went to the local store to buy identical raincoats.
The local store’s shopkeeper said later in a transcript, “They came in here, like a couple of regular customers, but their behavior was odd. They bought raincoats even though the weather was clear as day. And then there were those lead masks. When I asked why they needed them, one of them just smiled and said, ‘It’s for protection.’ It sent shivers down my spine, I tell you.”
Finally, they purchased a bottle of water at a bar. The receipt from this purchase was found at the site of interest. In Brazil during the 1960s, beverage bottles were sold under a deposit-refund system. Customers paid a small deposit when buying the drink, and when they returned the empty bottle to the store, the deposit was refunded. The finding of the receipt indicated that they planned to return the bottle at the bar.
The water bottle receipt (credit: Linha Direta TV documentary, 2004)
Upon being interviewed, the waitress from the bar described Miguel as “very nervous”, and noticed he frequently checked his watch. That is the last time they were known to have been seen alive; it is presumed they went directly from the bar to the spot where they were discovered.
On August 25th, reports regarding an unsual sighting in the sky emerged. Gracinda Barbosa Coutinho de Souza, a local resident of Niterói, was driving when she saw unusual objects flying in the sky. At the time of the sighting, she was returning home with her children in the car. Immediately after reaching her house, she informed her husband, who drove back to the spot of the sighting.
Her husband, however, reported seeing nothing unusual. The family took their account to the police, and in the days that followed, other residents of Niterói also came forward, describing strange lights and objects in the sky that they had seen before the recent deaths.
Some theories suggest that the strange circumstances were linked to UFO activity. According to this view, Miguel and Manoel may have climbed Morro do Vintém in an attempt to establish contact with extraterrestrials.
Meanwhile, investigators began questioning people connected to the case.
A colleague stated in a transcript, “Manuel and Miguel were good friends, but they had been distant lately. They would huddle together, poring over that notebook of theirs. I overheard them discussing ‘the process’ and ‘preparation for the next level.’ I thought they were talking about some electronics project, but now I’m not so sure.”
Further investigation eventually led authorities to a man named Élcio Correia Gomes, a friend of the both the men. Under questioning, Gomes admitted that he had taken part in performing experiments with Miguel and Manoel.
Élcio Correia Gomes (credit: Manchete Magazine, September 10, 1966)
While testifying, Gomes said, “I have always been friends with both of them. D. Elza can testify to this. Miguel, her husband, was close to me. As for Manoel, we knew he was going through a hard time – not financially, but morally – and we tried to bring him back to the right path. As a believing Kardecist, I tried to put him in touch with benevolent Spirits, and it was with this intention that I took him to a few sessions at the Spiritism Centre. That was all. When I said goodbye to them at the bus station, I was sure that they were really going to São Paulo. From that day on, I know nothing more.”
Neli da Cruz, Manoel’s wife, had previously described Elicio Gomes as an assitant to the men. She also witnessed a quarrel between her husband and Gomes.
In his later statements, Gomes explained that he, Miguel and Manoel identified themselves as “scientific spiritualists”. He admitted that the three had previously carried out a series of experiments they believed could help them establish communication with beings on Mars. Gomes specifically spoke about the Atafona Beach Explosion.
On June 13th 1966, an explosion was heard at the Atafona Beach. Witnesses reported a luminous object in the sky, followed by a blinding flash and a powerful explosion that was felt in the nearby city of Campos. Local fishermen claimed they saw a flying saucer fall into the sea.
The explosion was significant enough to attract the interest of Brazilian Naval and Air Force intelligence, which investigated strange radio transmissions linked to the case.
Soon, the Brazilian Federal Police was involved in the case. They started investigations in 4 states: Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, and São Paulo. The Army, Navy and Air Force Secret Service also began investigating the case.
Inspector Gomes dos Reis mentioned, “This case is unlike anything we’ve encountered before. We’re pursuing every lead, but the more we uncover, the more mysterious it becomes. We’re dealing with intelligent individuals who left behind more questions than answers.”
The Brazilian Navy observed transmissions from stations identified as CKJ‑22, CK‑22, and CKJ‑21 prefixes that did not appear in the official register of amateur radio operators in Brazil. These were observed on the evening of June 12th, just a day before the explosion.
Navy Captain João Pedro Silveira have intercepted clandestine transmissions (credit: Manchete Magazine, September 10, 1966)
Police also noted similarities between the Lead Masks Case and another mysterious incident from 1962. Hermes, a television technician, was found dead on Morro do Cruzeiro near Neves, with a similar lead mask lying beside his body.
At the time, speculation suggested he may have been involved in unusual experiments. One theory, published in Folha de São Paulo, proposed that the men were attempting telepathic communication with supernatural beings.
The Police also found a book named ‘Vida no Planeta Marte’(Life on Planet Mars) filled with written notes on the site of intrest. The author, Hercílio Maes, says the text was dictated to him by a spiritual entity called ‘Ramatís’.
Police chief Idovan Ferreira stated in his conclusion for the case,
“Considering the investigations carried out in relation to the case, we have come to the conclusion that the deaths of both were caused by the search for experiments to prove the existence of the soul, or by telepathic communications, or any other experiment, among the many covered by Parapsychology, through the search for a state of semi- or total unconsciousness, caused by poisoning with substances (capsules) of chemical composition not identified in the examination and whose vehicle for ingestion was the mineral water purchased moments before, in a nearby bar”
Over the years, countless theories speculated the deaths of Miguel and Manoel. They range from involvement in cults and UFOs to natural phenomena such as ball lightning and poisoning. Yet despite these speculations, no one has ever been certain what the men were truly attempting on Vintém hill.
