What would you do if you shelled out over $1 million for a new house, only to discover it made your life into a nightmare? It happened to the Broaddus family. When Derek and Maria Broaddus finally closed on a beautiful house in the ritzy town of Westfield, New Jersey, they couldn’t wait to move in. Their three kids were excited, and they were elated to land a dream home. However, before they even moved in, a sinister letter had them questioning their purchase.
While this home located at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey, might look like a gorgeous place to live, the events that took place over the course of two years might change your mind.
In June 2014, Derek Broaddus — who just closed on the home with his wife, Maria — went to check the mail after he finished a huge paint job on the building’s interior.
Having closed just three days prior, there wasn’t much mail to receive except a few bills. However, there was also a white envelope that looked completely out of place.
It was addressed to “The New Owner.” Derek, naturally, assumed it was a letter welcoming the family to the neighborhood. As he read it, however, he realized something more sinister was at play.
The letter read: “I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming… Why are you here? I will find out.” Derek’s excitement about his new home immediately dissolved, and anxiety took its place.
There was no return address on the envelope. The letter continued with more terrifying words. “You have children. I have seen them. So far I think there are three that I have counted.” It was signed: The Watcher.
Because The Watcher said, “I asked the Woods to bring me young blood and it looks like they listened,” Derek and Maria wrote a letter to the previous owners, John and Andrea Woods, inquiring about the cryptic message.
Interestingly enough, Andrea Woods did admit to receiving one letter at the start of their stay, but nothing else over the 23 years they remained there. Nevertheless, Derek and Maria were officially freaked out and second guessing the purchase.
Two weeks later, Maria found another note in the mailbox. “All of the windows and doors in 657 Boulevard allow me to watch you and track you as you move through the house. Happy moving in day. I will be watching.”
The Broadduses immediately took the letters to the police; they were terrified for their safety at this point. The case fell into the hands of Westfield’s police chief David Wayman. Unfortunately, the letters themselves really didn’t offer anything substantial.
Reminded of the movie The Watcher with Keanu Reeves, the family also turned to private investigators and former FBI agents to help. However, after thorough research, no one could pinpoint a culprit.
Even though some of the renovations in the Broaddus’ new home were alarms, the family’s anxiety was through the roof. Occasionally an alarm would sound, and Derek would go to the house armed with a knife. Even so, The Watcher’s letters continued.
“I am in charge of 657 Boulevard. It is not in charge of me,” another letter read. “I will be patient and wait for this to pass and for you to bring the young blood back to me.” This was insane.
The Broadduses already sold their previous home, so Maria’s parents invited them to stay at their place. There was one night when police on a stakeout saw a suspicious vehicle park in front of the home, but nothing came of the incident.
The family didn’t want to draw much attention to their problem, but a local reporter eventually got wind of the events, and soon everyone in the country knew what was happening. People all over had their own theories about the letters.
Some believed the family wrote the letters themselves to get out of a deal they couldn’t afford, while others assumed it was someone with a sick sense of humor playing a joke. Derek and Maria, of course, knew it was worse.
Nothing violent ever actually occurred to the Broaddus family, but two more letters were received during the two-and-a-half-year period. Derek, Maria, and the kids never officially moved in, and they were lucky enough to eventually find renters.
In an act of resentment toward the families who spoke ill of them during The Watcher’s heyday, Derek actually wrote letters to them himself, pretending to be The Watcher. His obsession with the mysterious stranger crept dangerously into his life.
