Unsettling New Evidence in Diogo Jota’s Crash: CCTV Footage, Burn Marks, and a Cryptic Voicemail Deepen the Mystery
The tragic car crash on July 3, 2025, that claimed the lives of Liverpool and Portugal football star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva on the A-52 motorway near Zamora, Spain, has taken a perplexing turn with new evidence. Initially attributed to a tire blowout, the accident involving their Lamborghini Huracan, which veered off the road and burst into flames, has raised chilling questions. Investigators recently uncovered 17 crescent-shaped burn marks beneath Jota’s seatbelt, which his widow, Rute Cardoso, claims match a childhood scar on his back. Additionally, the car’s stereo was found stuck on repeat, playing a cryptic voicemail from an unknown number whispering, “He wasn’t alone,” 54 times. Now, newly surfaced CCTV footage from a neighbor near the crash site shows the car pausing for exactly nine seconds on an empty road before accelerating into the crash site—with no one visible inside the vehicle. These revelations have transformed the investigation into a haunting enigma.
The Crash and Initial Investigation
The accident occurred as Jota, 28, and his brother André, 25, were driving toward Santander, Spain, to catch a ferry back to England for Liverpool’s pre-season training. The brothers had been celebrating Jota’s wedding to Rute Cardoso on June 22, 2025, just 11 days prior. According to Spain’s Guardia Civil, the Lamborghini suffered a tire blowout while overtaking another vehicle, causing it to skid approximately 100 meters off the A-52 motorway and ignite. The fire’s intensity destroyed much of the vehicle, complicating early forensic analysis. Both brothers were pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind Cardoso and their three young children, Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024.
Preliminary reports suggested Jota, likely the driver, was speeding, with tire marks indicating the vehicle exceeded the 120 km/h (75 mph) speed limit. However, two Portuguese truck drivers, José Azevedo and José Aleixo Duarte, disputed this, claiming the car was traveling at a moderate speed and that the road was in poor condition. These conflicting accounts set the stage for the investigation’s growing complexity.
The Crescent-Shaped Burn Marks
Forensic experts discovered 17 crescent-shaped burn marks beneath the driver’s seatbelt, presumed to be Jota’s position. These uniform marks, found on the seatbelt fabric and nearby surfaces, were distinct from typical fire damage due to their precise shape and placement. Rute Cardoso revealed that the marks resemble a crescent-shaped scar on Jota’s back from a childhood accident in Porto, where he fell against a hot metal object. Cardoso’s statement to investigators emphasized the scar’s personal significance, saying, “It was a mark Diogo carried with pride. If these burns are connected, I need answers.”
The marks’ deliberate appearance has prompted theories ranging from a seatbelt malfunction to a chemical reaction or manufacturing defect in the Lamborghini. Automotive experts note that seatbelt burns are rare, and the crescent shape is particularly anomalous, suggesting a cause beyond standard fire dynamics. The ongoing forensic analysis is examining whether an object related to Jota’s scar or an external factor produced the marks.
The Cryptic Voicemail
Adding to the mystery, investigators found the car’s stereo system stuck on repeat, having played a single voicemail 54 times. The message, from an unknown number, featured a whispered voice saying, “He wasn’t alone.” The audio, recovered from the car’s fire-damaged infotainment system, has raised unsettling questions. The Guardia Civil is attempting to trace the number, suspected to be a burner phone, but has made little progress. The phrase’s ambiguity—potentially referring to André’s presence or a third party—combined with its repetitive playback, suggests either a system malfunction or deliberate tampering. Some investigators are exploring whether the audio could have distracted Jota, contributing to the crash.
The Disturbing CCTV Footage
The most recent and perplexing development comes from CCTV footage obtained from a neighbor’s camera near the crash site on the A-52 motorway. The video, which surfaced in late July 2025, shows the green Lamborghini Huracan pausing for exactly nine seconds on an empty stretch of road at approximately 12:25 a.m., just minutes before the crash at 12:30 a.m. local time. Most shockingly, the footage appears to show no one visible inside the vehicle during this pause, despite clear visibility of the car’s interior through the windows. The Lamborghini then accelerates rapidly, covering the short distance to the crash site, where it veered off the road and burst into flames.
This footage has sparked intense debate among investigators and the public. The absence of visible occupants raises questions about whether Jota and André were inside the car at the time of the pause or if the footage captures an optical illusion, perhaps due to lighting, tinted windows, or camera quality. Some speculate that the car’s autonomous driving features, though limited in the Huracan, could have been engaged, but Lamborghini has confirmed the vehicle lacked full self-driving capabilities. Others question whether the footage is authentic, given the prevalence of miscaptioned or misleading videos online, as seen with earlier false claims about Jota’s crash. The Guardia Civil is analyzing the footage’s metadata to verify its legitimacy and timestamp, but no official statement has confirmed its authenticity.
Rute Cardoso’s Pursuit of Truth
Rute Cardoso, Jota’s widow and high school sweetheart, has become a central figure in the investigation. Having supported Jota from his early days at Paços de Ferreira to his Premier League success, she now faces profound grief while demanding answers. Her identification of the burn marks’ similarity to Jota’s scar and her reaction to the voicemail and CCTV footage have intensified public interest. In a statement through a family representative, Cardoso said, “The burns, the message, and now this video—it doesn’t make sense. Diogo and André deserve the truth, and I won’t stop until we have it.” Her emotional collapse outside the morgue after identifying Jota’s body underscored her loss, yet her resolve has galvanized support from fans and the football community.
Theories and Speculation
The combination of the burn marks, voicemail, and CCTV footage has fueled rampant speculation. Online discussions, particularly on X, range from plausible theories to outlandish conspiracies. Some suggest the voicemail and CCTV footage point to foul play, though the Guardia Civil has found no evidence of another vehicle or external interference. Others hypothesize that a cyberattack or glitch in the car’s electronics could explain the stereo’s loop and the apparent lack of occupants in the footage. The burn marks’ connection to Jota’s scar has led to theories about a personal item or chemical agent, though no such object has been identified.
The CCTV footage has raised particularly disturbing questions. If authentic, the nine-second pause and empty appearance of the car could suggest a mechanical or electronic anomaly, such as a brief loss of driver control. However, the rapid acceleration afterward contradicts the idea of a stalled vehicle. Skeptics argue the footage may be manipulated or misinterpreted, citing previous instances of false videos linked to the crash. The road’s poor condition, noted by witnesses like José Aleixo Duarte, who described it as “in terrible condition,” remains a focal point, with some questioning whether uneven asphalt contributed to the tire blowout.
The Investigation’s Challenges
The Guardia Civil’s investigation is now grappling with multiple threads: the tire blowout, the burn marks, the voicemail, and the CCTV footage. The fire’s intensity destroyed much of the vehicle, complicating forensic analysis, but teams are examining the seatbelt material, tire fragments, and the car’s electronic systems. The voicemail’s origin is a priority, with cybersecurity experts analyzing the infotainment system for signs of tampering. The CCTV footage is under scrutiny to confirm its authenticity and to explain the absence of visible occupants. The final report, to be submitted to the Puebla de Sanabria court, is expected to address these elements, though answers may be delayed due to the case’s complexity.
Conflicting witness accounts add further challenges. While the Guardia Civil’s preliminary report pointed to speeding, truck drivers Azevedo and Duarte insist the car was not exceeding the speed limit, citing their familiarity with the road’s dangers. The footage’s claim of an empty car contradicts the forensic evidence that Jota and André were inside when it crashed, deepening the mystery.
A Community in Mourning
The football world continues to mourn Jota and André, with tributes from Cristiano Ronaldo, Jürgen Klopp, and Liverpool teammates like Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. A minute’s silence was held at the UEFA Women’s Euros match between Portugal and Spain, and fans have left flowers and scarves at Anfield’s Hillsborough Memorial. Jota’s legacy as a Premier League champion and Portugal international endures, but the unsettling details of his death have cast a shadow over his memory.
A Haunting Legacy
Diogo Jota’s journey from Porto’s suburbs to Liverpool’s glory inspired millions. His death, alongside his brother André, has left a void in football and their hometown of Gondomar. The crescent-shaped burn marks, the cryptic voicemail, and now the eerie CCTV footage have transformed a tragic accident into a mystery that captivates and unsettles. As Rute Cardoso and her children grieve, her pursuit of answers reflects the resilience that defined Jota’s life. The football world awaits the Guardia Civil’s findings, hoping for clarity in a case marked by haunting uncertainties.
