The Watcher

Imagine this: you’ve just bought your dream home. Big yard. Quiet neighborhood. Safe town. You move in with your kids, full of hope.

Then, a letter arrives in the mailbox.

It’s not a welcome note. It’s a threat.

"I am The Watcher. I’ve been watching 657 Boulevard for decades. It is my duty to watch and wait for its second coming.”

This isn’t fiction.

This happened to the Broaddus family in Westfield, New Jersey—and no one has ever found out who The Watcher was.

🏡 The Dream Home Turns Dark

In June 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus bought a beautiful, six-bedroom house at 657 Boulevard, in one of the safest towns in America.

They were just a few days away from moving in with their three young kids when Derek checked the mail. One envelope caught his eye:

No return address

Handwritten

Addressed to: “The New Owner”

He opened it. Inside was the first of many terrifying, anonymous letters.

📄 Letter #1: "Welcome to the Neighborhood"

“Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard,

Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

At first, it sounded polite. But it turned disturbing fast.

“I see you’ve brought young blood. Have you found out what’s in the walls yet? I asked the Woods to bring me young blood, and now they have delivered you to me.”

The writer claimed to be “The Watcher”, someone who had been watching the house for decades, waiting for new residents.

He mentioned the children by nickname, referred to their ages, and even commented on what rooms they were in.

The letter ended with:

“You don’t want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy.”

🚔 The Panic Begins

Shocked and frightened, the Broaddus family contacted police immediately. An investigation began, but there were no fingerprints, no clear suspects, and no cameras had picked anything up.

Derek and Maria contacted the previous owners, the Woods family. They said they had received one strange letter just before moving—but thought it was a prank.

The Broadduses delayed moving in. They hired security, installed cameras, and began checking every corner of the house. But the letters kept coming.

📄 Letter #2: "You Have Changed It, and Now I Watch"

The second letter was even more specific:

“You have changed it and made it so fancy. It cries for the past and what used to be… I watch and wait for the day the young blood will be mine again.”

The Watcher knew their renovations, their schedules, even what the kids were wearing.

Someone was watching them, in real time.

😱 Fear Turns to Obsession

The Broadduses never moved in. They stayed with relatives and spent their savings on private investigators, former FBI agents, and handwriting experts.

All led nowhere.

Their mental health began to crumble. They feared for their kids’ safety. Derek began staying up at night, hiding in the house with a knife, just in case.

No suspects. No fingerprints. No motive.

Only letters.

📄 Letter #3: "Are You Brave Enough to Stay?"

The third and final letter was the darkest:

“657 Boulevard is turning on me. It is coming alive. It is full of anger… Maybe a car accident. Maybe a fire. Maybe something simple like a minor illness that never seems to go away but makes you feel sick day after day after day after day... Maybe the mysterious death of a pet. Loved ones suddenly die. Planes and cars crash. Bones break.”

It was no longer a warning. It was a threat.

🏚️ The House That No One Wanted

Desperate, the Broadduses tried to sell the house. But no one wanted a home with a stalker watching from the shadows.

They even tried selling the land to developers to tear it down, but the town denied the request. Locals thought it was a scam.

Some neighbors began turning on them, suggesting the Broadduses were faking it for attention or money.

But police believed them. They had the letters. They had no idea who The Watcher was.

🧍‍♂️ Suspects, But No Answers

Several names were floated:

A neighbor called “The Gamer,” who played dark video games and had strange habits.

The previous owners, the Woods family.

Even Derek Broaddus himself.

But nothing stuck. No fingerprints. No DNA. No cameras caught anything.

To this day, no one has ever been arrested.

🧠 Theories: Who Was The Watcher?

1. A Local with a Grudge

Someone in the neighborhood didn’t like newcomers, especially wealthy ones. A twisted version of “keeping the block pure.”

2. A Hoax from the Family

Some believe the Broadduses made it up—though this would mean tormenting themselves, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and gaining no benefit.

3. A Mentally Unstable Stranger

Someone obsessed with the house. A local drifter. A recluse. Someone who once lived there—or wanted to.

🏁 The Ending: Or Is It?

In 2019, after 5 years, the Broadduses finally sold the house — at a huge loss. They never moved in. They never found peace.

The new owners haven’t reported any new letters… yet.

The Broaddus family disappeared from the spotlight, still haunted by questions, still worried they were being watched.

The Watcher?

Never caught.

Never stopped.

Never explained.

🧠 What Makes This Case So Terrifying?

1. There Was No Break-In, No Blood — Just Fear

The Watcher didn’t need violence to destroy lives. Just words… and presence.

2. It Could Happen to Anyone

This wasn’t a mansion. It wasn’t in the middle of nowhere. It was a normal family in a normal neighborhood.

3. Sometimes, Evil Doesn’t Have a Face

This wasn’t a ghost. This wasn’t a killer. This was a shadow, a person who remains unknown to this day.

🔍 Final Thoughts: Who Watches the Watcher?

The story of the Watcher reminds us that the scariest monsters aren’t always in horror movies. Sometimes they live down the street. Sometimes they slip a letter in your mailbox.

And sometimes…

They never go away.