‘The Watcher’: What we know about the menacing true story that inspired Netflix

It’s a house so terrifying that it now has its own Netflix series.

If you’ve spent any time online lately, chances are you’ve seen the hype for the streaming giant’s new limited series The Watcher.

What you may not know, however, is that the seven-episode foray into creepiness is loosely based on a true story that left a New Jersey family paralyzed with fear.

How it all began

In 2014, Westfield, N.J. residents Derek and Maria Broaddus bought a stunning six-bedroom Dutch colonial home for US$1.3 million. Their intention was to renovate it and then move in with their children.

Bleeding money, the family moved into a rental, but that didn’t stop the letters from coming.

A turn for the worse

The Broadduses were desperate to get the property off their hands and came up with an idea: what if they knocked the house down and put up two brand new homes in its place?

However, when the idea was presented to the neighbourhood planning committee, it was voted down. Not only was that dream dashed, but some members of the community had begun to turn on the Broadduses for bringing drama and fear to the area. Others speculated that perhaps Derek and Maria were the ones sending the letters to themselves, an act of desperation in the wake of buyer’s remorse.

The Cut reports that the Westfield Leader even published an article in that time, where anonymous neighbours called into question the Broadduses motivations – why did they keep renovating a home they weren’t moving into? Why did Maria keep a Facebook page with pictures of her children public? The paper noted, however, that a police DNA test was not a match to Maria.

Questions remain unanswered

To this day, The Watcher has never been identified. Derek’s private investigation dried up, as did the police’s, despite asking neighbours to voluntarily submit DNA samples for evidence. Not wanting to paint themselves as a suspect, most of the neighbours submitted samples, but none were a match.

In 2019, the Broaddus family sold the home for $400,000 less than they originally paid for it, after deciding to disclose the creepy letters to prospective buyers.

The Cut, in a new piece published this week, reports that the Broadduses sent a letter to the home’s new owners, a young family, when the deal closed.

“We wish you nothing but the peace and quiet that we once dreamed of in this house,” they wrote, attaching a picture of The Watcher’s handwriting in case the new family received the same threatening mail.

The Cut also addresses other theories that have emerged since their initial piece on 657 Boulevard was published; several other suspects, including a local teacher, were eventually ruled out. The U.S. Postal Inspectors looked into the case – possibly a disgruntled letter carrier? – but came up empty-handed. Cameras were installed in Westfield’s library and post office, trying to identify the letter writer, but they revealed nothing.

The Broadduses decided to say in Westfield, but still face judgement from some of the town’s population. Both Maria and Derek said they’re still struggling with the emotional toll and stress of their harrowing ordeal. With the exception of giving Netflix the rights to adapt their story, they’ve largely turned down network television appearances and have declined help from documentary teams. They told The Cut they have no plan to watch the Netflix series.

To this day, no one knows if The Watcher is still out there, keeping tabs on 657 Boulevard.