The Watcher

The Cut ^ | NOV. 13, 2018 | Reeves Wiedeman

[conservative98]

The Watcher A family bought their dream house. But according to the creepy letters they started to get, they weren’t the only ones interested in it.

One night in June 2014, Derek Broaddus had just finished an evening of painting at his new home in Westfield, New Jersey, when he went outside to check the mail. Derek and his wife, Maria, had closed on the six-bedroom house at 657 Boulevard three days earlier and were doing some renovations before they moved in, so there wasn’t much in the mail except a few bills and a white, card-shaped envelope. It was addressed in thick, clunky handwriting to “The New Owner,” and the typed note inside began warmly:

Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard,

Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood.

For the Broadduses, buying 657 Boulevard had fulfilled a dream. Maria was raised in Westfield, and the house was a few blocks from her childhood home. Derek grew up working class in Maine, then moved his way up the ladder at an insurance company in Manhattan to become a senior vice-president with a salary large enough to afford the $1.3 million house. The Broadduses had bought 657 Boulevard just after Derek celebrated his 40th birthday, and their three kids were already debating which of the house’s fireplaces Santa Claus would use.

But as Derek kept reading the letter from his new neighbor, it took a turn. “How did you end up here?” the writer asked. “Did 657 Boulevard call to you with its force within?” The letter went on:

[conservative98]

But the previous owner got letters 23 years ago and didn’t disclose this - the current owner didn’t find out until he started getting letters. The owner wrote some letters at the end because he was driven crazy and had to defend himself.

[IYAS9YAS]

But the previous owner got letters 23 years ago and didn’t disclose this - the current owner didn’t find out until he started getting letters.

The prior owner lived there for 23 years, but only admitted to receiving a single letter shortly before moving out, not several letters over the 23 years.

From the article: "Andrea Woods replied the next morning: A few days before moving out, the Woodses had also received a letter from “The Watcher.” The note had been “odd,” she said, and made similar mention of The Watcher’s family observing the house over time, but Andrea said she and her husband had never received anything like it in their 23 years in the house and had thrown the letter away without much thought."

A disclosure lawsuit would have gone nowhere.

[Cecily]

“The dna sample could be unfortunate contamination, thus ruling out the actual culprit.”

Could be, but if there is ever a match to someone with a connection to the house, the neighborhood or the Broadduses, the person needs to be investigated.

[pluvmantelo]

Okay so it turns out the father started writing anonymous letters too.
Seems to me this makes him a primary suspect for being the writer of all the letters to begin with.

---

Excellent point.

[conservative98]

You’re right. I misread.

[Coleus]

I’ve been following this story since it came out and can’t believe how paranoid those people are. So what if some lunatic writes a letter.I used to get chain letters years ago, they were threatening, you laugh then throw them in the garbage, life moves on.