Lead Mask Case

Know as The Lead Mask Case two strange deaths occurred In Rio de Janeiro under what can only be described as paranormal circumstances. The deaths have yet to be explained and it’s unclear whether the men were murdered or the deaths were self-induced. There were several objects found a round the men and the case has been called the Lead Masks Case.

On August 17^th 1966 two electronic technicians, Manoel Pereira da Cruz and Miguel José Viana, told friends and family they were going to buy some supplies for work and buy a car. They were reported to have the money to buy the car already with them. They stopped in a shop to get a bottle of water and a rain coat. The waiter later claimed the two appeared to be in a hurry as one was always checking his watch. The bartender was the last one to see the two men alive.

A young  man found the bodies three days later and called the police who began an investigation into the deaths of the men. The police determined the last moments the men were alive and found some items that represented their last moments alive. They were both dressed in suits and they had on waterproof coats. They wore lead eye masks with no holes such as one would wear to protect form radiation. They also found an empty water bottle, a notebook, and two towels. The money they were supposed to be carrying for the purchase of a car wasn’t found.

The notebook caused confusion in the case because in contained these words in Portuguese

“16:30 be at agreed place, 18:30 swallow capsules, after effect protect metals wait for mask signal.”

Suits: this indicates that the men were planning to meet someone, but since it’s not known what their original attire would be this is hard to determine.

The Lead Masks:  this told investigators that then men were expecting to encounter some type of radioactivity. There was no radiation detected at the site and its possible their meeting place could have been at some other location.

The Towels and Jackets:  the towels suggested they were expecting to encounter moisture and their jackets indicate this as well. UFOs were seen in the area on the 17^th and according to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy towels are required for space travel. The guide was published ten years after this even occurred.

The Water Bottle: they were to return this bottle to the bar. They did drink the water but didn’t return the bottle.

Notes: These are the biggest part of the mystery as it’s unclear who they were to meet at the arranged place. The toxicology report turned up nothing on the capsules because the organs weren’t preserved. It’s not clear if they took the capsules or not. It appears they were waiting for someone to tell them to put on their masks.