Featured image: At the Top SKY observation deck on the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa at the time of Laura’s death.
Evidence: Suicide at the Burj Khalifa
The evidence presented below consists of official records, diplomatic correspondence, legal certifications and supporting documentary material relating to Laura Vanessa Nunes’ death on 16 November 2014.
The documents constitute the principal documentary evidence relating to Laura Vanessa Nunes’ death and the subsequent dispute concerning its circumstances. Together, they form the core evidentiary record upon which the findings presented in Suicide at the Burj Khalifa are based.
For privacy, security and document-integrity reasons, complete copies of certain documents are not made publicly available online. Selected extracts and document images are presented below. Access to complete documents may be granted upon request where appropriate.
1. The Dubai Medical Forensic Report (18 November 2014) Evidence
The complete document is not published online. Access may be granted to verified individuals and organisations upon request.
The Medical Forensic Report is the primary official document issued by the Government of Dubai concerning Laura Vanessa Nunes’ death.
The report was prepared by Dr Hazem Mitwali Sharif, Coroner of Dubai Police, and is dated 18 November 2014.
This website contains an English translation prepared by Diamond Legal Translation, a legal translation service authorised by the Ministry of Justice of the United Arab Emirates. A copy of the original Arabic document accompanies the translation. The translation is authenticated by the official stamp appearing on each page of the document.
Extract from the report
“Upon the request of senior prosecutor Ahmed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, as included in the letter issued by the action chief of Bur Dubai Police Station… dated 17/11/2014, I, the expert, Dr Hazem Mitwali Sharif, the coroner of Dubai Police, carried out the external anatomic examination on the body of the deceased.”
“The report further records that the coroner attended the scene following a call from the Dubai Police Operations Office and observed the deceased at a location identified as the Burj Khalifa on 16 November 2014.”
2. Authentication of Signatures (26 May 2026)
The complete document is not published online. Access may be granted to verified individuals and organisations upon request.
The Authentication of Signatures certificate provides an additional layer of independent verification relating to the Medical Forensic Report and accompanying documentation.
The certificate was signed by the Registrar of the High Court of South Africa, Western Cape Division, Cape Town, on 26 May 2026.
The authenticated document contains both the English translation of the Medical Forensic Report and the original Arabic document enclosed under official certification. The certification confirms that the enclosed documents were received in a sealed condition and that the seal had not been broken or tampered with.
This authentication provides additional verification of the translated forensic report and the accompanying Arabic original.
Extract from the certificate
“I hereby certify and attest that on 19 May 2026, in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa, Leona Sykes duly signed, sealed and executed the attached affidavit document and email attachments in my presence.”
3. Certificate of Authentication (02 September 2026)
The Certificate of Authentication signed by the Assistant Director of DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation) certifies the signature attached to the Authentication of Signatures certificate signed by the Registrar of the High Court of South Africa, Western Cape Division, Cape Town, on 26 May 2026.
The Certificate of Authentication provides an additional layer of independent verification relating to the Medical Forensic Report.
4. Certified Diplomatic Correspondence
The documents below form part of the official and legal communication trail relating to the transmission, handling and verification of records connected to Laura Vanessa Nunes’ death.
Middle East Assistance (MEA) Correspondence
These diplomatic communications document the transmission and handling of official records relating to Laura Vanessa Nunes’ death, including requests for assistance and the exchange of documentation between diplomatic representatives and the relevant authorities.
The correspondence forms part of the documentary trail accompanying the Medical Forensic Report and related documentation.
Extract from the Documents
“Please find attached the English Forensic Report which I received from Middle East Assistance.”
Notarial Verification
These records demonstrate that independent legal professionals examined and verified digital documents relating to Laura’s case, including email communications, attachments and supporting records.
The verification process provides an additional level of assurance regarding the integrity of the documentary material.
Extract from Documents
“The original sealed document from Diamond Legal Translation was also presented to me for inspection…”
5. Conflicting Accounts of the Location of Death
Following Laura’s death, I sought to establish the basic facts surrounding her final days, including where she had been staying and the circumstances of her death.
Correspondence from Luis Câmara, then Deputy Head of Mission and Consul at the Embassy of Portugal in Abu Dhabi, contained differing accounts of the location of Laura’s death. These communications became an important part of the documentary record and raised further questions requiring clarification.
At the time, I was also attempting to determine where Laura had been staying, recover her personal belongings, and obtain access to CCTV footage that might help establish the circumstances surrounding her death. Without access to this material, it was impossible for me to independently determine whether Laura had died by suicide, as a result of an accident, or through other means.
Requests for access to CCTV footage and related information were unsuccessful. Assistance was not provided by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Burj Khalifa, or the Embassy of Portugal in Abu Dhabi.
Supporting correspondence and documentary records relating to these requests are discussed in Suicide at the Burj Khalifa and form part of the evidentiary archive.
Email 1
Extract from Email
“The Consular Record on 17 November 2017 at 10:37 AM. We were contacted this morning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which informed us that the national citizen LAURA VANESSA NUNES… committed suicide in Dubai, having jumped from the 38th floor of a hotel.”
Email 2
Extract from Email
“Consular Record on 17 November at 14:08 PM. She committed suicide by throwing herself from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa, where there are restaurants with a panoramic terrace. The CID does not have any record of her stay in a hotel”
Immediately following Laura’s death, the Dubai Criminal Investigation Department (CID) contacted the Portuguese authorities. The communications reproduced above contain conflicting accounts of the location of Laura’s death, with one referring to a hotel and the other to the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa.
Relevant Correspondence
Selected correspondence relating to requests for information concerning Laura’s accommodation, personal belongings and CCTV footage.
Abidos Hotel Dubailand
Documentary and physical evidence relating to Laura Vanessa Nunes’ accommodation at Abidos Hotel Dubailand, including hotel records, invoices, luggage documentation, correspondence and photographs.
Timeline
A chronology of communications and requests relating to the location of Laura’s death and subsequent attempts to establish the circumstances surrounding it.
View Abidos Hotel Dubailand Evidence
Wikipedia and the Burj Khalifa Article
The documentary evidence relating to Laura Vanessa Nunes’ death exists independently of how the event has been described in newspapers, online publications, or reference works.
Because Wikipedia is frequently used by search engines, journalists, researchers, and artificial intelligence systems, the way Laura’s death has been presented on the Burj Khalifa article is significant. A dedicated page documents the evolution of the article, the sources cited, and changes made over time.