Rodrigues and Pacaccini publish their investigation

From 1997 onward, lawyer Ubirajara Franco Rodrigues and journalist Vitório Pacaccini publish their systematic witness testimony collection on the Varginha incident. Over 100 witnesses - hospital personnel, firefighters, residents - are documented. The investigation makes the case one of Brazil's best-known UFO incidents and becomes the foundation for TV Globo documentaries and international media coverage. Critics point to contradictions in individual testimonies and the role of a local circus (with escaped animals).