Sometimes, the line between a dream home and a living nightmare can be paper-thin. Little did one New Jersey family know, this hard truth would haunt them for years…

Picture this: It’s 2014, and Derek and Maria Broaddus have just purchased their dream home at 657 Boulevard in the town of Westfield, New Jersey— an affluent and sought-after area. The purchase at first seemed like achieving a lifelong dream. Maria was born and raised in Westfield, always desiring to return. Derek grew up in working-class Maine and climbed the corporate ladder until he became the senior vice president at an insurance firm. Now, the couple’s many years of dreaming and hard work were finally paying off. Their beautiful mansion was an exceptional place to raise their 3 children and start the next chapter of their lives. They never expected that their home would open a gateway to a nightmare.

Mere days before the family planned to move in, they received the first in a series of deeply unsettling letters from someone who identifies only as The Watcher. In cryptic, ominous tones, the writer claims they have a mysterious and generational duty to keep vigil over the house. And just like that, the excitement of moving into their idyllic new home takes a back seat to fear.

Now, before you exclaim, “What could possibly be so terrifying about a piece of mail?”, imagine receiving a note like this the minute you (and your young children) move to a strange new place:

“657 Boulevard is anxious for you to move in. It has been years and years since the young blood ruled the hallways of the house. Have you found all of the secrets it holds yet? Will the young blood play in the basement? Or are they too afraid to go down there alone? I would [be] very afraid if I were them. It is far away from the rest of the house. If you were upstairs you would never hear them scream.”

Rightfully horrified, Broadduses reached out to the previous owners, John and Andrea Woods, desperate for any information about this written stalker. The Woodses, who had lived at 657 Boulevard for over two decades, admitted they received one similar letter before they moved out but thought little of it. Their letter, while it was strange, was non-threatening and merely thanked them for caring for the house. This caused the Woodses to dismiss the whole thing as harmless, leaving the Broadduses with little support against the unnerving, invasive presence of The Watcher.

When a Lawsuit is the Only Option

Driven to the edge by increasingly terrifying letters that hint at secrets hidden within the walls, Derek and Maria filed a lawsuit against the Woodses, claiming they were misled about the true nature of the house. They argued that the Woodses should have disclosed the creepy letter they received and that the lack of warning set them up for psychological trauma and financial loss. After all, how can you sell a home under the guise of “charming” when there’s a looming specter watching your every move?

Their lawsuit, however, was far from a clear-cut case. New Jersey’s disclosure laws did not specifically require the Woodses to reveal a “Watcher” during the property sale. This gray area quickly morphed into a legal wrestling match over whether one sinister letter was enough to justify full disclosure or if the Woodses acted reasonably in assuming it was an isolated incident.

Legal Outcome and the Ongoing Mystery

Ultimately, the lawsuit is dismissed, leaving the Broadduses trapped in a nightmare of property they cannot enjoy—and can’t seem to sell, thanks to The Watcher’s grim reputation. Despite their efforts to sue, disclose the Watcher’s existence to potential buyers, and even rent out the home, the chilling aura of 657 Boulevard remains.

So, was it the law that failed the Broadduses, or was this simply an unlucky twist of fate? To this day, The Watcher’s identity is unknown, leaving the home, the Broadduses, and the people of Westfield with unanswered questions and, perhaps, a bit of lingering paranoia.

The Watcher House Case remains an unsettling example of how what you don’t know can indeed haunt you—and in this case, literally.

Thank you for joining us for Trial & Terror!

Trial and Terror is a seasonal blog series where we dive into historical legal cases that involve the paranormal and the unexplained. “The Watcher House” is our final article this season, but there are still plenty of terrifying tales to explore. Check out the Gross Law Group blog for more spooky real-life cases that cover mysteries, murder, and times when supernatural beings were called to the stand. Enjoy your read and Happy Halloween!