A commission report re-examines the 1976 car crash that killed former Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek using three 3-D forensic videos [1, 2].

The findings are significant because they challenge the physical plausibility of the original accident report, suggesting the official cause of death may have been misrepresented.

The report was produced by the Comissão sobre Mortos e Desaparecidos Políticos (CEMDP) and released in 2024 [1, 2]. It relies on forensic work conducted by expert Sérgio Eisemberg, who created the 3-D videos in 2019 [1, 2]. These simulations were designed to test the mechanics of the crash that occurred on the BR-040 highway near Resende, Rio de Janeiro [1].

According to the CEMDP, the original investigation into the 1976 [1] incident contained explanations that are physically impossible. By using the three [1] forensic videos, the commission said it aims to demonstrate that the events described in the initial official records do not align with the laws of physics.

The report seeks to provide a basis for reassessing the circumstances surrounding the death of Kubitschek, a pivotal figure in Brazilian history. The use of modern forensic technology allows investigators to reconstruct the scene in ways that were unavailable to officials at the time of the accident.

This re-examination follows a pattern of historical review regarding political figures who died during periods of instability or authoritarian rule in Brazil. The CEMDP is tasked with uncovering the truth about those who died or disappeared due to political violence.

“The report aims to demonstrate that the original accident investigation contained physically impossible explanations.”

The use of 3-D forensic modeling to reopen a case from 1976 reflects a broader effort in Brazil to apply modern science to historical state crimes. If the original accident report is proven physically impossible, it strengthens the hypothesis that the death of Juscelino Kubitschek was not a simple traffic accident, potentially linking the event to the political repression of the era.