The story of The Watcher emerged in November 2018 when it was first published in New York
Magazine. The article details the 2014 story of the Broaddus family who, after purchasing
their new home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey, were stalked via letters by an unknown
entity referring to itself as 'The Watcher'.
The incident led to the family never actually moving into the house and eventually selling the
house at a loss.
The case has never been solved, and many speculate whether the entire situation was real or a hoax
devised by the Broaddus family.
In 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey from John and
Andrea Woods for $1,355,657.
[1]
On June 5, the Broadduses receive their first letter from The Watcher. The second letter is
received later in June, and a third around July.
[2]
In 2015, The Broaddus family decide to sell the property. Later that year, they decide to sue
the
Woodses for not disclosing information about The Watcher. This lawsuit would eventually be
dismissed, but lead to the story becoming widespread.
[3]
In 2016, The Broadduses purchased a second home in Westfield using borrowed money from family
members. In spring of that year, the family put 657 Boulevard back on the market.
[4]
In 2017, The Broadduses put in a proposal to sell the house to a developer in order to tear the
property down in favour of creating two smaller properties. This proposal would go on to be
rejected.
[4]
On February 20, The fourth and final letter is received from The Watcher.
[2]
In 2018, Reeves Wiedeman, a features writer for New York Magazine publishes an article
detailing the entire story of the Broadusses saga at 657 Boulevard.
[4]
In 2018, Netflix won the rights to the story of The Watcher in a bidding war.
[5]
In 2019, the Broaddus family sold the house for $959,000 to Andrew and Allison Carr, leaving the
Broadduses at a loss of around $400,000.
[6]
By October 2021, Westfield Police reported that no more communications from The Watcher had been
received by the new owners, though a spate of incidents where the burglar alarm had been set off
had occured, prompting police to investigate.
[7]
In 2022, Netflix released a TV series titled The Watcher based on the Broadduses story.
Due
to the popularity of the show, 657 Boulevard and the surrounding neighbourhood became a hotspot
for visitors and fans of the series and legend.
[7]
Built in 1905, 657 Boulevard is a six-bedroom Dutch colonial house located in the quiet suburb of
Westfield, New Jersey. Prior to the Broaddus family moving in, there was no reported instance of
any strange happenings centered on the property.
Previous owners include:
The original owners of 657 Boulevard. The Russell family inhabited the house from 1905 to 1914.
Inhabited the house from 1914 to 1951.
Inhabited the house from 1951 to 1955.
Inhabited the house from 1955 to 1963.
Inhabited the house from 1963 to 1990.
Inhabited the house from 1990 to 2014, before selling it to the Broaduss family.
Derek Broaddus is the 40 year old patriarch of the Broaddus family. He worked as an Insurance Executive.
Details of Maria Broaddus are scarce, though it was known that she grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, and her childhood home was only a short distance from 657 Boulevard.
Little information can be found about the Broaddus children, though it was known that there were three of them, ages 5, 8 and 10.
A neighbour located two doors down from 657 Boulevard. Schmidt Informed Derek about The Langfords, mentioning that they were an odd family, but harmless. He mentioned that Michael Langford would fetch Schmidt his newspapers every morning.
The Langfords were the next-door neighbours of 657 Boulevard and were prime suspects for a large duration of the investigation. Peggy was the matriarch of the family; Michael was her adult son who had been previously diagnosed with schizophrenia; Abby was Michael's sister, who worked as a real-estate agent; her brother Sandy; and Richard Langford, the family patriarch who had passed away 12 years prior to the events of The Watcher.
A neighbour living across the street from 657 Boulevard. Dumont stood against the Broadduses proposal to sell the house to a developer who could turn the large house into two sellable homes.
A neighbour living across the street from 657 Boulevard. Higgins was one of few people to show concern towards the Broaddus family after their proposal to sell the house to a developer. Despite this, he still argued that turning the one large house into two smaller houses would ruin the aesthetic of the neighbourhood.
Of the Broadduses other neighbours, the couple positioned behind 657 Boulevard had been seen sitting facing the house on a couple of lawn chairs positioned oddly close to the property. A private investigator also uncovered two child sex offenders living within a few blocks of the house.
In June 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus began renovations on their newly acquired home of 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. While checking the mail, Derek found an unstamped, handwritten letter with no return address, simply addressed to 'The New Owners'. The letter read: [8]
Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard,
Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood.
How did you end up here? Did 657 Boulevard call to you with its force within? 657 Boulevard has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming. My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out.
I see already that you have flooded 657 Boulevard with contractors so you can destroy the house as it was supposed to be. Tsk, tsk, tsk... bad move. You don't want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy.
I asked the Wood's to bring me young blood and it looks like they listened.
You have children. I have seen them. So far I think there are three that I have counted. Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Better for me. Was your old house too small for the growing family? Or was it greed to bring me your children? Once I know their names I will call to them and draw them too [sic] me.
Who am I? There are hundreds and hundreds of cars that drive by 657 Boulevard each day. Maybe I am in one. Look at all the windows you can see from 657 Boulevard. Maybe I am in one. Look out any of the many windows in 657 Boulevard at all the people who stroll by each day. Maybe I am one.
Welcome my friends, welcome. Let the party begin.
- The Watcher
Derek immediately reported the letter to the Westfield Police Department, though they weren't
able
to help much beyond some simple suggestions and enquiring if Derek had any enemies.
After joining his family at their old home, Derek and Maria wrote an email to the previous
owners,
John and Andrea Woods, asking if they knew anything of 'The Watcher'. The Woods' responded,
saying that they had also received a letter from 'The Watcher', mentioning that it was odd and
talked about The Watcher's family watching over the house, but she and her husband simply
discarded
it. The Woodses' accompanied Maria to the police station, where Detective Leonard Lugo told her
not
to mention the letters to anyone, especially her neighbours, who were now all suspects.
[4]
Two weeks later, whilst checking in on their new house, Maria found a second letter had been
sent,
addressed incorrectly to "The Braddus Family".
Upon contacting the police, they opened and read the message:
[8]
Welcome again to your new home at 657 Boulevard, The workers have been busy and I have been watching you unload carfuls of your personal belongings. The dumpster is a nice touch. Have they found what is in the walls yet? In time they will.”
I am pleased to know your names now and the name of the young blood you have brought to me, you certainly say their names often. I noticed one of your children using an easel, is she the artist in the family?
657 Boulevard is anxious for you to move in. It has been years and years since the young blood ruled the hallways of the house. Have you found all of the secrets it holds yet? Will the young blood play in the basement? Or are they too afraid to go down there alone. I would [be] very afraid if I were them. It is far away from the rest of the house. If you were upstairs you would never hear them scream.
Will they sleep in the attic? Or will you all sleep on the second floor? Who has the bedrooms facing the street? I'll know as soon as you move in. It will help me to know who is in which bedroom. Then I can plan better.
All of the windows and doors in 657 Boulevard allow me to watch you and track you as you move through the house. Who am I? I am the Watcher and have been in control of 657 Boulevard for the better part of two decades now. The Woods family turned it over to you. It was their time to move on and kindly sold it when I asked them to.
I pass by many times a day. 657 Boulevard is my job, my life, my obsession. And now you are too Braddus family. Welcome to the product of your greed! Greed is what brought the past three families to 657 Boulevard and now it has brought you to me.
Have a happy moving in day. You know I will be watching.
- The Watcher
Following this, Derek and Maria stopped bringing their children to 657 Boulevard. Several weeks passed by until eventually the Broaddus family received a third letter: [8]
Where have you gone to? 657 Boulevard is missing you.
Are you one of those Hoboken transplants who are ruining Westfield?
The house is crying from all of the pain it is going through. You have changed it and made it so fancy. You are stealing it's [sic] history. It cries for the past and what used to be in the time when I roamed it's [sic] halls.
The 1960s were a good time for 657 Boulevard when I ran from room to room imagining the life with the rich occupants there. The house was full of life and young blood. Then it got old and so did my father. But he kept watching until the day he died. And now I watch and wait for the day when the young blood will be mine again.
657 Boulevard is turning on me. It is coming after me. I don't understand why. What spell did you cast on it? It used to be my friend and now it is my enemy. I am in charge of 657 Boulevard. It is not in charge of me. I will fend off its bad things and wait for it to become good again. It will not punish me. I will rise again.
I will be patient and wait for this to pass and for you to bring the young blood back to me. 657 Boulevard needs young blood. It needs you. Come back. Let the young blood play again like I once did. Let the young blood sleep in 657 Boulevard. Stop changing it and let it alone.
- The Watcher
The Broadduses, shaken by the experience and at their wits end, hired a private investigator as
well as a former FBI agent named Robert Lenehan to look into the matter.
[4]
After a few months, the renovations to 657 Boulevard were completed, and despite fitting a new
security system, the Broaddus family were dreading finally moving into the new home.
They temporarily moved into Maria's parents home while still paying bills for 657
Boulevard, just to escape from the sense of dread The Watcher had instilled in them.
[4]
Six months after receiving the initial letter, the Broadduses decided to sell the house. They
also
filed a lawsuit against the Woodses for not disclosing the letter they received from The
Watcher.
[3]
It was only a matter of time until a local reporter caught wind of the lawsuit, and with that,
the
story of the Broaddus family and The Watcher went viral.
[4]
Barron Chambliss, a Westfield police detective took a look into the case and discovered that DNA
taken by investigators of one of The Watcher's envelopes belonged to a woman, but this led
nowhere.
[9]
Further investigations revealed that around the same time the Broaddus family received their
first
letter, another family received a similar letter from The Watcher, but they had also thrown away
the letter, as the Woodses had.
[4]
In 2016, 657 Boulevard was back on the market, but interest would dry up whenever a potential
buyer
would read the letters from The Watcher.
[4]
After a failed attempt to sell the house to a developer, a family agreed to rent the property,
stating that they weren't scared of The Watcher, but they wanted a clause added to the lease
agreement to allow them to break the contract should they receive another letter.
[4]
A mere two weeks later, the renter would hand Derek a new letter they received from The Watcher:
[8]
Violent winds and bitter cold
To the vile and spiteful Derek and his wench of a wife Maria,
You wonder who The Watcher is? Turn around idiots, maybe you even spoke to me, one of the so called neighbors who has no idea who The Watcher could be. Or maybe you do know and are too scared to tell anyone. Good move.
I walked by the news trucks when they took over my neighborhood and mocked me.
I watched as you watched from the dark house in an attempt to find me … Telescopes and binoculars are wonderful inventions.
657 Boulevard survived your attempted assault and stood strong with its army of supporters barricading its gates, my soldiers of the Boulevard followed my orders to a T. They carried out their mission and saved the soul of 657 Boulevard with my orders.
All hail The Watcher!!!
Maybe a car accident. Maybe a fire. Maybe something as simple as a mild illness that never seems to go away but makes you fell sick day after day after day after day after day. Maybe the mysterious death of a pet. Loved ones suddenly die. Planes and cars and bicycles crash. Bones break.
- The Watcher
Derek took the fresh letter to the police, but once again, nothing came of it. [4] Eventually, the Broaddus family sold the house at a loss, having never actually moved in. They moved somewhere else in Westfield, but not before receiving one final letter: [10] [11]
You are despised by the house, and the watcher won.
- The Watcher
With only letters as evidence, investigators could only go on intuitions and scant hunches that
the letters revealed: A number of old-fashioned mannerisms in the letters led them to believe it
was an older writer; the literary style of the writing suggested an avid reader; and lack of
profanity suggested someone less masculine.
[4]
The most tangible piece of evidence was the DNA on one of the envelopes that proved to belong to
a
woman.
[9]
With no fingerprints or a digital trail left behind from The Watcher, their identity has never
been
discovered, though many theories have taken hold at one time or another.
The Langfords were neighbours of the Broadduses, living just next door. A fellow neighbour,
John Schmidt filled Derek Broaddus in on the members of the family, including that of Michael
Langford who was described as odd, was unemployed, and suffered from schizophrenia. For a large
portion of the investigation, Derek was certain one of the Langfords was been behind The
Watcher letters.
[4]
The second letter from The Watcher mentioned one of the Broaddus children using an easel,
information which would have been hard to note due to the child using the easel on a porch
hidden
away from the street, but directly facing the Langford house.
[4]
Another implicating detail, is that The Watcher had mentioned that their father had begun
watching
657 Boulevard since the 1960s and the current Watcher for the better part of two decades.
Incidentally, Richard Langford, the patriarch of the family had passed away 12 years prior to
the
first letter being received. The Langfords were also one of the only families in the area to
have
been there since the '60s.
[12]
Michael Langford was questioned by police twice, but Michael denied knowing anything regarding
The
Watcher, and sister, Abby accused the police of harrasing their family. Background checks were
taken of the Langfords by private investigators, but this also turned up nothing.
[4]
The Broadduses sent a letter to the Langfords, announcing their plans to tear down 657
Boulevard,
in an attempt to illicit a response, but this proved fruitless.
[4]
After the discovery of female DNA on one of The Watcher envelopes, detective Barron Chambliss
investigated Abby Langford, but the DNA sample didn't match.
[12]
Eventually, the prosecutor's office ruled the Langfords out as suspects in the case, but no
reason
was given.
[4]
For a short time during the investigation, the Woodses, and their 21-year old son were all
considered suspects. The Woodses received a letter from The Watcher before the Broadduses, but
discarded it believing it to be nothing of importance.
[7]
DNA was taken from Andrea Woods, but it
didn't match the envelope from The Watcher's letter, and with no more evidence to consider The
Woodses, they were ultimately dropped as suspects.
[11]
Author, Robert Kaplow was considered a suspect after mentioning to students at the nearby Summit
High School, where he taught, that he was interested in a local property.
[13]
A former student told how Kaplow had the idea to write letters to the house, not the occupants,
just the house itself.
[13]
Kaplow retired the same month that the Broadduses received the first Watcher letter.
[13]
It was later proved that the house in question was a completely different residence, ruling out
Kaplow.
[13]
A number of unnamed neighbours were at one time or another suspected by the Broadduses or an
investigator involved in the case. One such individual, was an old man who lived behind 657
Boulevard, who was spotted sitting on a lawn chair oddly close to the residence, facing the
house.
[10]
Another couple, who were invited by Derek to take a tour of the house, were suspected by Derek
himself when the wife commented "It'll be nice to have some young blood in the neighbourhood",
strinkingly similar to the words of The Watcher.
[4]
During his investigation into The Watcher, detective Barron Chambliss staked out 657 Boulevard
one
evening and noted a car parked suspiciously near the residence. On tracing the car, Chambliss
found
the car belonged to a woman whose boyfriend lived on the same block as 657 Boulevard. He
suspected
the girlfriend may have helped her boyfriend write the letters, hence female DNA on one of the
envelopes.
Upon questioning, the woman revealed that her boyfriend had a penchant for dark video games,
including one where he plays as a character named 'The Watcher'.
Though the boyfriend agreed to be interviewed, he failed to turn up twice, and Chambliss soon
moved
on.
[4]
Other theories swirled that The Watcher may have been someone who was outbid on the property by
the
Broadusses and, in jealousy, decided to exact revenge.
[12]
A large contingent of people, including their neighbours, believe the Broaddus family may have
been
responsible for The Watcher letters themselves.
Several reasons were put forth by theorists: from buyer's remorse and insurance fraud to
scheming
for a movie deal or looking to defraud the Woods family, but all stemming from the idea that the
letters were all concocted and written by the Broadduses themselves.
[4]
Lending credence to this theory, many pointed out how the property value of 657 Boulevard
skyrocketed from $300,000 to $1.3 million, allowing them to refinance their mortgages in the
span
of 10 years.
[4]
Similarly, some questioned why they continued to renovate a house they never
intended to live in, while others found it too much of a coincidence that the letters only began
to
appear around the time the Broadduses purchased the house.
[4]
The Broadduses supposedly also made a significant sum from selling their story to Netflix.
[14]
Despite this, a number of facts related to the case detract from the hoax theory. Firstly, the
family opted to inform potential buyers of The Watcher, when it was suggested that they
needn't do that.
[4]
The Watcher letters not only made it incredibly difficult for the Broadduses to
sell the house, the story also depreciated the value of the house, netting the family a loss of
around $400,000.
[6]
The family also declined earlier deals to sell their story, only selling to
Netflix with conditions, and only after attempting to mitigate their losses in other ways first.
[15]
Finally, the DNA on the envelope did not match that of Maria Broaddus.
[11]
