After receiving frightening letters from 'The Watcher,' family flees home and sues previous owners
A New Jersey husband and wife are suing the previous owners of their home, saying they didn't disclose the fact that someone calling himself "The Watcher" was sending unnerving letters to the house.
Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased the $1.3 million house in Westfield, New Jersey, last year, and received their first letter from The Watcher that May, PIX 11 reports. The Watcher claimed that his grandfather and father both watched the house before he did, and he has "been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming." Knowing that the family had children, he wrote, "Have they found out what's in the walls yet?" and "I am pleased to know your names now, and the name of the young blood you have brought to me."
Sufficiently freaked out, the family left the home after receiving three letters and has yet to return. The suit says that they are "consumed daily by stress, anxiety, and fear regarding what 'The Watcher' will do," and since news has spread about the creepy messages, they won't be able to sell the house. Mayor Andy Skibitsky said the police have conducted an "exhaustive investigation," but so far, no arrests have been made, and it remains to be seen if the Broaddus family actually has a legal case.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published