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Derek and Maria Broaddus' story gained traction in a 2018 article detailing the events that unfolded as soon as they began renovation work on their newly-purchased house at 657 Boulevard in Westfield.
Derek went over one day in June 2014 to do some renovations. He checked the mail and found the first letter, it read:
"Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard,
Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood. 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."
Things got weirder. Two more letters arrived. This time, the writer introduced himself as The Watcher, and indicated someone was in earshot, as the children's nicknames were mentioned.
"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."
The fourth letter didn't come until the Broaddus' were trying to sell the home, a difficult feat considering they felt obligated to disclose their experience. This letter suggested harm would be coming their way, NJ Advance Media reports.
The Broaddus family filed a lawsuit against the home's previous owners, for failing to disclose a previous letter from "The Watcher." The suit was eventually dismissed and a police investigation was never solved, NJ Advance Media says. The Broadduses suspect other residents may have fabricated all of it.
They sold the home in 2019, and took a $400,000 loss — but the family moved into a different Westfield home and apparently haven't gotten a letter since.
Netflix's adaptation of the Broaddus' story premiered on Thursday, Oct. 13, and stars Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale.
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