The Watcher of Westfield, New Jersey

In June 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased a six-bedroom house at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey, for approximately US$1.3 million. Shortly after closing on the property, but before the family moved in, they received the first of what would become four anonymous, typewritten letters signed "The Watcher." The letters claimed the author's family had been "watching" the house for generations and demonstrated knowledge of the Broadduses' three young children, referring to them as "new blood," as well as details about the house's layout and recent renovations.

Over the following weeks, additional letters arrived, growing increasingly disturbing in tone. They referenced previous owners of the house, the Broadduses' children, and asserted a pseudo-spiritual attachment to the property. One letter stated that the house was "anxious" for the family to move in and warned "you know I will be watching."

The Broadduses reported the letters to the Westfield Police Department. Investigators initially focused attention on a neighboring family, the Langfords, who had lived next door for a long time, but found no evidence connecting them to the letters. DNA recovered from an envelope suggested the sender might be a woman, but it did not match any identified suspects. Private investigators and former FBI agents were also brought in but were unable to determine the author's identity. As the case drew public attention, some members of the community grew skeptical of the Broadduses' account, with speculation that the letters could have been a hoax.

The letters continued to become more threatening over time. The Broadduses never moved into the house and ultimately sold it in 2019 for $959,000, a loss from their original purchase price. The subsequent buyers of the property have not reported being contacted by the Watcher.

Analysts and commentators who reviewed the letters described them as well-written and literary in style, though typographical errors within the text were noted as potentially suggestive of an erratic writer. As of the available reporting, the Watcher's identity remains unknown and no charges have ever been filed in connection with the case.

The case attracted significant media attention and inspired fictionalized adaptations, including the 2017 Australian horror film "3rd Night" and the 2022 Netflix series "The Watcher," starring Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale. The Netflix series renamed the family "Brannock" at the real family's request and altered certain details, including the number and ages of the children.