Based on a true story, Netflix's The Watcher, 2022, chronicles the story of Derek and Maria Broaddus who got haunted by an unknown writer after they bought their new dream home in 657 Boulevard, Westfield, NJ, in 2014. They frequently received scary letters from the author who claimed to have owned the house for decades. The couple even hired a private investigator as well as reported to the police. However, no evidence was found. As many Reddit users wanted to know, the family sold the house in 2019 at a $400,000 loss. Follow to know more about Derek and Maria with their complete Wikipedia.
The Watcher, a limited Netflix series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, is based on a true story of a creep who stalks a family in their New Jersey home. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale play Maria and Derek Brannock in the limited series, who move into what is supposed to be their perfect suburban house. As the nefarious secrets of the neighborhood start to surface, ominous messages from someone identifying themselves as 'the watcher' start to arrive.
The series is based on the scandalous story of a couple who paid about $1.4 million for a 1905 Dutch colonial revival in New Jersey in 2014. Derek discovers a handwritten message in the mailbox, delaying the family's move-in. This is how they first meet The Watcher, who informs them that the Watcher family has owned the 110-year-old house for many years. Eventually, the family had to leave their new home because of unsettling letters
As Netflix just released the trailer of the mini-series, many Reddit users have been wanting to know about Derek and Maria Broaddus as well as their stories. Well, we've got you covered.
Previously, we touched on the Graff family, Theodora Birch, Roger Kaplan, and Isabel Gravitt’s Wikipedia.
Derek and Maria Broaddus' Wikipedia: The Family Got Haunted by an Unknown Person Right After Moving Into Their Dream House in 657 Boulevard, Westfield, NJ: Is Netflix’s The Watcher Based on a True Story? Reddit & 2022 Update!
Based on a true story, Netflix's The Watcher portrays the story of Derek and Maria Broaddus who got haunted immediately after they purchased their new home. In June 2014, the couple paid $1.4 million for the stunning six-bedroom home in the leafy Westfield, New Jersey; nevertheless, only a few days later, they got their first anonymous message. The spooky letters that were delivered to the address revealed that the author was familiar with many facts about their lives and the layout of the home, and they also included a warning that if kids went to the basement, their parents would never hear them scream.
Only The Watcher signed each of the letters. Derek Broaddus told The Sun Online that his family was 'trying to move on' and that the events at 657 Boulevard were a horrific experience. He warned, though, that he thinks the writer of the letters is still alive. He explained,
There is a mentally unhinged lunatic in that neighborhood.
One of the safest areas to reside in the United States is Westfield, which is only 28 miles from Manhattan. The purchase of the Dutch colonial house at 657 Boulevard allowed the Broadduses to realize a long-held desire. Maria was born in Westfield, and her childhood home was only a few blocks from the large new home with four baths and more than 3,800 square feet.
Before he turned 40, Derek, who grew up in a working-class family in Maine, had worked his way up to the position of senior vice-president at an insurance business in New York. The couple's three children had already started debating which fireplace Santa Claus would use at Christmas because they had fallen in love with the house. Derek was painting his new house just three days after the Broadduses had closed on the property when he stepped outside to check the mail.
A typed note and a letter addressed in clumsy, thick handwriting to 'The New Owner' were found inside. "Dear new neighbor at 657 Boulevard, allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood," the note started. But as the writer continued, the message rapidly took a nasty turn: How did you end up here? Did 657 Boulevard call to you with its force within?" The writer also wrote that the home had been the subject of my family for decades and he had been given the responsibility of watching and waiting for its second coming.
They then said they would find out why they were there and asked if the homeowners knew what lay within the walls of the house. The author of the note said that they had already started watching the family, recognizing numerous pieces of information like their Honda minivan and the fact that they had hired contractors to repair the house. This was the most unsettling of all. It made ominous mention of the couple's children and forewarned that changing it would make the house unhappy.
Even knowing how many kids the couple had, The Watcher claimed they desired the house filled with young blood. The author taunted the homeowners that the sender might be a neighbor or simply a bystander because the envelope included no return address. After ten o'clock, Derek was scared to be home alone. He ran throughout the home shutting off each and every light before calling Westfield Police Department.
The second letter arrived in the house two weeks after the first one. In this letter, the writer claimed that he knew everything about their children, including their nicknames and birthdate. Terrified Derek and Maria decided to stop bringing their kids there and started thinking about selling their dream house. A third letter arrived a few weeks later, with the following text: "Where have you gone to? 657 Boulevard is missing you."
Many suspects were made by the police. However, no strong evidence was found. In addition to two former FBI agents, Derek and Maria also hired a private investigator to stake out the Michael Langfords' home and run background checks on them. Michael, however, was ultimately exonerated since the family always denied involvement and there was no concrete evidence.
The Broadusses claim another letter appeared in 2017 warning of different calamities that could occur, such as car accidents, fires, or the unexpected loss of a loved one. They claim they were too afraid to move into their new home and instead rented it out. Some others even believed that the Broadduses might have sent the letters themselves after having second thoughts about the purchase and attempting to regain their money. The home was ultimately sold by the family in 2019 at a $400,000 loss. As of 2022, they're now living somewhere else with no trouble.
Watch the trailer of Netflix's The Watcher right here.
Before leaving, find out about the cast who plays the role of the daughter in The Watcher.
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