The Chilling Watcher Chronicles: Unveiling the Terrifying Truth of 657 Boulevard

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Watcher.

This article contains discussion surrounding real-life crimes that include stalking and murder.

The Watcher's true story is more bizarre than any fiction an author could imagine, and Ryan Murphy's popular Netflix miniseries narrates the story of a stalker who poses a threat to a family after they relocate to a new residence. The crux of The Watcher's plot revolves around the perplexing real-life events that unfolded around the Broaddus family—renamed Brannock in the show—when they bought a suburban New Jersey home at 657 Boulevard. However, to heighten the intrigue surrounding the true story, the show takes liberties with reality, resulting in a combination of actual events and pure fiction.

In terms of portraying the titular antagonist in The Watcher, the show accurately depicts the shocking letters and the negative impact they have on the central family. Nevertheless, The Watcher delves into the realm of fiction by drawing connections between The Watcher case and a forgotten crime that plagued the neighborhood of 657 Boulevard. The storyline becomes even less plausible—albeit more captivating—when it unveils an intricate network of empty tunnels beneath 657 Boulevard. Additionally, there are a few elements in the Netflix true-crime show's plot that may strain credibility but are indeed based on the experiences of the Broaddus family.

The Real Location Of The Watcher House Explained

The true location of the house featured in Netflix's The Watcher is 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. However, the series changes the zip code from 07090 to 11537. The show accurately depicts Derek and Maria Broaddus, who are renamed Dean and Nora Brannock, purchasing the house for $1.36 million and being unaware of the letters from the Watcher that were received by the previous owners. The Netflix true-crime series draws inspiration from a real family murder, which occurred in November 1971 when John List, a resident of Westfield, killed his wife, mother, and three children before disappearing. While the series takes some creative liberties with the layout of the actual home, it adds an underground passageway that did not exist in reality. Additionally, the house portrayed in the Netflix series is larger than the original and located in Rye, New York, instead of Westfield, New Jersey.

The Real Letters Of The Watcher Case Explained

The Watcher true story involves the initial sending of three letters by the real perpetrator to Maria and Derek Broaddus, who are portrayed by Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale in the cast of The Watcher. The first letter was received shortly after the Broaddus family purchased the property in June 2014 and was addressed to "The New Owner." Although the letter began on a friendly note, welcoming the family to their new neighborhood, it gradually became more threatening in tone. Following the incident, the Watcher case received extensive media coverage and various specific details came to light.

The letters sent to the real-life Broaddus family drew a great deal of attention and scrutiny. They contained eerie messages, such as the following (as reported by The Cut): "657 Boulevard has been a focus for my family for several decades now, and as it nears its 110th anniversary, I have been entrusted with the responsibility of observing and awaiting its next chapter. My grandfather watched over the house in the 1920s, and my father did so in the 1960s. Now, it is my turn. Are you aware of the house's history? Do you know what secrets lie within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why have you chosen to reside here? I will discover the truth."

As demonstrated in Ryan Murphy's TV series, the Watcher issued a clear warning that any changes made to the house and its rich history would bring dissatisfaction to "657 Boulevard," and further claimed that they would entice the Broaddus family's three children towards them. Following the initial letter, a second one reached the family a few weeks later, followed by a third a month after that. Additionally, a fourth letter arrived three years later, although it was believed to be the work of a copycat due to its more hostile tone and noticeably different writing style.

Why Did The Broaddus Family Sue The Previous Owners Of The Watcher House?

Before selling the home to the Broaddus family, the previous owners, John and Andrea Woods, also received a threatening letter from The Watcher. However, they chose not to disclose this information to the Broaddus family. As a result, one year later, the new family decided to take legal action against the Woods by filing a complaint. While doing so, they made every effort to keep the media out of the story, but unfortunately, a reporter discovered the house and set off a chain of events that led to The Watcher true story becoming viral.

The Broadduses Did Not Initially Tell Their Children About The Letters In The Watcher True Story

Did The Broadduses Actually Suspect Their Neighbors?

Elie and Cater, Dean and Nora's children, were introduced to the letters related to the Watcher case at the beginning of the Netflix adaptation. However, their real parents, Derek and Maria, chose to hide the existence of the house and the letters from them for a significant period of time. It was only when their desperate situation gained attention from the media that they finally decided to disclose the existence of the Watcher and the peculiar letters to their three children. Although the miniseries added two extra characters to enhance the story, the true story behind The Watcher was somewhat simpler.

As depicted in the popular 2022 Netflix original series, the peculiar acquaintances of the family were among the numerous suspects. Additionally, there were a handful of conflicts between the Broaddus family and the elderly couple residing across from their residence. However, none of these disputes reached the level of hostility portrayed in the show. The initial letter also referred to the Broadduses as "Dearest new neighbor at 657 Boulevard," indicating that The Watcher was either intentionally misleading them into believing they were their neighbor or subtly hinting that they genuinely resided in the vicinity.

The Watcher possessed an extensive knowledge of various intricate details concerning the family, such as the names and birth order of their children. On one occasion, the Watcher even inquired whether the Broadduses' daughter was "the artist of the family," seemingly after observing her use an easel on the porch of their residence. Despite these compelling pieces of evidence pointing towards a perpetrator residing in close proximity to the Broaddus family, no neighbor was ever conclusively proven to be responsible for the Watcher case.

Did The Broadduses Report The Watcher To The Police?

What Did The DNA Reveal In The Real Watcher Case?

The Watcher's case was assigned to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, leading to several intriguing developments. Notably, a DNA test unveiled that an unidentified woman had licked the envelope on the Watcher's letters. Acting upon this lead, the prosecutor's office gathered DNA samples from the neighborhood, but unfortunately, no matches were found. In an attempt to further the investigation, Maria and Derek urged the investigators to compare the DNA with ancestry databases, but their request was denied by the prosecutor's office. Frustrated with the lack of progress, the Broadduses decided to take matters into their own hands in 2020. They implored the prosecutor's office to close the case and hand over the evidence. Regrettably, their plea was rejected, and the enigma surrounding the Watcher case remained unresolved (via The Cut).

The Broadduses Never Really Moved To The Watcher House

The main difference between The Watcher true story and the series is that the Broaddus family never actually resided in the house. In order to evade the Watcher's threat, they chose to live with Maria's parents while their home remained unoccupied. About six months after the first letter from the Watcher, they attempted to sell the house for $1.5 million, but were unsuccessful due to potential buyers discovering the infamous case. Eventually, in July 2019, the Broadduses managed to sell the house for $959,000 (according to CNN), resulting in a significant financial loss for their family. Fortunately, by selling the rights to Netflix for The Watcher series, they were able to recoup some of their losses and have a degree of control over their own story.