r/netflix – Part 1: Everything you need to know about The Watcher of 657 Boulevard

Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased their historical “dream home” on June 2, 2014 in the town of Westfield, NJ where Maria had grown up. Around this time, Westfield,NJ was considered the 99th safest city in the US. This was an affluent and safe neighborhood and the 657 Boulevard house was as iconic as ever nearing it’s 110th birthday. Maria’s parents lived close by but not in the same tight nit neighborhood. The Broaddusses had 3 kids, ages 5, 8 and 10 who were super excited about their new home as well. Not long after Derek turned 40, he and Maria purchased the home from John and Andrea Woods for 1.3 million. It has been reported that this amount was actually OVER the asking price, which puzzles me. We will loop back around to this later.

While we are talking about the sale of the home, I want to mention a slightly unique fact. The Woods never allowed a For Sale sign in the yard, per their request and I am unclear how long the house stayed on the market before it was purchased. I do know that the Broadduses did not waste any time getting contractors in the home for immediate renovations, literally the day after closing. They must have had plenty of opportunities to come in and out of the home before officially owning it to meet with building inspectors and contractors because renovations began within a day or two. If you’ve bought a house and wanted to remodel before moving in, you know the difficulties in coordinating all those efforts. The night of June 5, 2014, a quick 3 days after finalizing the home purchase , Derek Broaddus (DB) was at 657 Boulevard (657) painting and checking things out when he decided to go to the mailbox.

Well, let’s just say this is where the story takes a weird turn. In the mailbox was a greeting card sized enveloped addressed to “the new owner” in large block handwriting with no return address listed. From my understanding, this was not something hand delivered, which is a common misconception, but postmarked using the USPS. The letter inside is typed. It starts off welcoming them to the neighborhood (“dearest new neighbor”), stating that the writer’s family had been watching 657 for decades starting with the grandfather, father and now time for them to take over watching. The letter also references 657’s 110th birthday. However, the letter does take a dark turn.

How did you end up here? Did 657 Boulevard call to you with its force within. I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming. My grandfather watched 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.

The letter went on to identify the family’s Honda minivan and other observations

I see already that you have flooded 657 Boulevard with contractors so that 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. You have children. I have seen them. So far I think there are three that I have counted. Are there more on the way? I asked the Woods to bring me young blood and it looks like they listened. 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 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

The end of the letter “The Watcher” is often inaccurately described as being signed by hand but it is actually typed with a cursive font.

At this point DB quickly makes his way back to the house, locks all the doors, turns off all the lights and calls the Westfield police to come over and review the letter, which they do. They ask him about enemies but even they seem to be a little perplexed by the letter. DB goes home to his wife, discusses this, shows Maria the letter and they decide to send an email to the Woods enquiring about The Watcher.

I am going to end Part 1 here but there is SO MUCH MORE. Already I have many questions, comments, theories, and thoughts. If you are new to this story, what are you initial thoughts with JUST this information? I jot my thoughts down as I am reviewing a case. Usually my initial thoughts change drastically but occasionally they come full circle. I am looking forward to the Netflix series. I hope they have more information that is credible.

Here are some of the things I jotted down that ran through my head. THEY ARE NOT MY FINAL THOUGHTS but questions and thoughts as they came to me.

• DB at house alone when received the first letter – I completely understand this. Totally normal. You have young kids, you go to the house after work to do more work on the house but somebody has to stay home with the kids.

• Letter was addressed to a single individual and talked as if there was just one person in the beginning: Owner, Neighbor, “you”. Then it abruptly brings in the minivan, the family, the children. I think the letter is written over several days or in separate and distinct periods of time. It makes me think the writer isn’t writing AS he is seeing this but having to recall the information.

• I can feel the moods shift in the letter. I think this has something to do with what the watcher has seen, what time of day it is, what medication has or has not been taken, or random anger at a perceived threat. I picture someone only seeing Derek and contractors and not feeling very threatened in the first part. THEN the minivan arrives, kids pile out screaming with joy. The irritation in the statement “you have children” is almost palpable.

• Was it greed to bring me your children? This sentence doesn’t even make sense. The writer is not using the word greed appropriately. It is an emotional sentence and I have a feeling “greed” will be a common theme. The writer doesn’t know how to construct a sentence accurately about how they are feeling probably because they just can’t describe it due to a lack of emotional intelligence.

• Are there really 100s and 100s of cars that go by this house each day??? Can anybody answer this? That seems extreme.

• I think it is someone who drives by and walks by and can be seen from the windows inside the house, and someone who can see in the house. All the scenarios they mentioned are probably true. It isn’t just one of the options, it is all of them.

• Either you have been stalked before or you haven’t. Lots of stalker victims are ignored. People that say DB overreacted, have never had a stalker. Not one person that has been stalked would say anything the Broaddus family did was extreme. If your space has never been violated by an unknown person or that person is never charged with the crime then realize you cannot fully comprehend what goes through a person’s mind that is under attack.

• Would some dudes tell The Watcher to bring it on? yep. And that is okay too. Ignoring this WAS a viable option but have you lived with a momma that is terrified for her children’s safety? It will scar everybody involved forever. It is a constant flight or fight response that isn’t sustainable. It would effect their physical and mental health. I am just getting started and I really hope The Broaddus family got therapy. This can be maddening. You also can’t imagine the rage, the responsibility, the paranoia of feeling like you have to solve the mystery because nobody else will.

This article in The Cut online magazine is a reprint of the original November 12, 2018, printed issue of New York Magazine.

https://www.thecut.com/article/the-haunting-of-657-boulevard-in-westfield-new-jersey.html

Stephanie Harlowe YouTube channel and episode about The Watcher. By far my favorite video!

https://youtu.be/iIz5chDvMrk