Dead in Lead: The Puzzling Lead Mask Deaths and the Cryptic Mystery That Still Haunts Investigators

Matching suits, cryptic notes, and handmade lead masks? Unpacking one of the strangest unsolved cases of the 20th century.

Two ‘scientific spiritualists’ were found dead at the bottom of a hill in 1966, and it only gets weirder from there. This post may contain affiliate links. We may be compensated, if you purchase something we recommend.

On August 20, 1966, Brazilian investigators discovered the bodies of Manoel Pereira da Cruz and Miguel José Viana at the bottom of Morro do Vintém (Vintem Hill), and stumbled onto one of the most perplexing cases of the 20th century.

Earlier that morning, a young boy, flying a kite, minding his own buisiness, near Morro do Vintém, in Neterói, Rio de Janerio, came across the two mens’ bodies, and reported it to the authorities. When the authorities showed up, they noticed some…peculiarities about the victims:

• They were wearing matching suits.
• They were each wearing a homemade, lead mask, shaped and worn like sunglasses.
• They had a notebook, with a cryptic note: “16:30 be at the specified location. 18:30 ingest capsules, after the effect protect metals await signal mask.”
• Found near them was an empty water bottle, and a packet containing two wet towels.