Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries Support Us
You are viewing: Home > News > Modern Mysteries > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All â–¾
Search Submit

Modern Mysteries

Mysterious 'Watcher' forces family to flee

By T.K. Randall
June 28, 2015 · Comment icon 42 comments

The person responsible for sending the messages has never been caught. Image Credit: sxc.hu
A family has fled their new home after receiving chilling messages from someone called 'The Watcher'.
A real-life horror movie plot has been unfolding in New Jersey this week after it was revealed that Derek and Maria Broaddus, who had purchased and moved in to their new $1.3M home in Westfield last year, started receiving strange messages from an individual who continues to remain at large.

Calling himself "The Watcher", the mysterious antagonist started sending the letters shortly after the couple and their three children moved in to the property in June.

"My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time," he wrote in one letter. "Have they found what is in the walls yet? In time they will … I am pleased to know your names now and the name of the young blood you have brought to me."
"Who has the bedrooms, facing the street? I'll know as soon as you move in. It will help me to know who is in which bedroom then I can plan better."

The terrified family were ultimately forced to move out and are now suing the former owners on the basis that they had already known about the messages before selling the house.

The police are continuing to investigate but have yet to track down the individual responsible.

Source: NBC News | Comments (42)

Tags: Watcher


Other news and articles

Similar stories based on this topic:

Unidentified object filmed over Stechford, England
12-13-2021
Nessie watcher films 'two Loch Ness Monsters'
7-28-2019
Mystery 'Watcher' house goes up for sale
10-15-2017
Rare supermoon will be brightest in 70 years
11-3-2016
Rare albino dolphin filmed in Monterey Bay
10-7-2015
Crowds gather for annual Nexus conference
8-3-2014
<< Previous story
Did the Japanese capture Amelia Earhart ?
Next story >>
World's first robot wedding takes place
Our latest videos Visit us on YouTube
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #33 Posted by Leonardo 10 years ago
I thought the crux of the issue was that letters were being sent to the new owners which terrified them as the letters were stating details about the house and asking who would be sleeping in which bedroom etc? Where does it state that the seller and broker were targeted ? From the article... The couple alleged that the former owners did not warn them about the threats from "The Watcher. They claim that the former owners knew of the threats and should have known of the strange stalker's claim of ownership of the home. The first letter was received on June 5, 2014 — just three days after the ... [More]
Comment icon #34 Posted by libstaK 10 years ago
From the article... The buyers (plaintiffs) are accusing both the seller and the broker of "knowing the threat exists before closing on the sale" - but how could they? They could only know, and be sued for knowing, if they had also received threatening letters prior to the close of sale. There has been no indication that the seller had received any such letters in the past (i.e. prior to them making a decision to sell), else they would undoubtedly have filed a complaint to the police themselves and the police have not made any statement that the case is historical. If the seller had not been t... [More]
Comment icon #35 Posted by Leonardo 10 years ago
Okay, my post again below .... so what was the debate about? Your response, which is in direct contradiction to your surmisal above where you do note it is possible that the buyer was a target to reduce the value of the property. Yes, that scenario is possible but much more unlikely than what I consider the "likely scenario". I didn't make any contradiction, I just only spoke of what I considered the most likely situation. This is also a possibility as there is no information that letters prior to those received by the buyer actually exist or were sent.Bottom line is that there is not enough f... [More]
Comment icon #36 Posted by Justice please 10 years ago
Yes, that scenario is possible but much more unlikely than what I consider the "likely scenario". I didn't make any contradiction, I just only spoke of what I considered the most likely situation. The police would not open an investigation unless there was something to investigate. Okay, we can't see any copies of the letters that the buyers allege were sent, but we have no reason to doubt those letters exist else the police would not open an investigation into the threats. The claim that is truly in doubt, is that letters were also sent - prior to closing of the sale - to either the seller, t... [More]
Comment icon #37 Posted by captainstickman 10 years ago
Somewhat poorly written article but the writer at least went to the town and asked a bunch questions "It's clear he thinks the new owners wrote the letters to themselves to get out of their million dollar mortgage" http://gothamist.com/2015/07/31/the_watcher.php
Comment icon #38 Posted by cerberusxp 10 years ago
Sounds to me like a paranoid neighbor that thinks possibly the family is an undercover operation. OR He just wants them to move out. OR Like Leonardo purposes.
Comment icon #39 Posted by eydood 10 years ago
Thrilling story, but the whole thing stinks of a scam; perhaps the buys want out of the deal. Or, similar to what someone else posted above, perhaps this is a way to scare off undesired new residence. I know I'd be terrified and would consider getting the heck out, myself
Comment icon #40 Posted by LucidElement 7 years ago
The watcher is back!!!   With a new letter this time. https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-jersey-family-terrorized-by-the-watcher-opens-up-about-terrifying-ordeal
Comment icon #41 Posted by LucidElement 7 years ago
oh man, this is crazy because its been going on for almost 5 years. Even though the family doesn't live there anymore its just strange that no one has caught him. Even with the FBI looking into it, it seems to come to a dead end. The new tenants got a letter too that was given to the family who moved out. This is an interesting mystery.
Comment icon #42 Posted by Ozymandias 7 years ago
What a load of tosh! The Watcher claimed in his threatening letter: 'I am the rightful owner of the house'!!!!  I don't know who is the stupidest, The Watcher, the current owners or the local police.
 Click here to view all 42 comments on this story    


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Recent news and articles
Isle of Lewis
Modern Mysteries

Scottish islanders are being driven mad by pervasive 'Hebridean Hum'

4-30-2025 | 4
Jacques Vallee
The UFO Phenomenon

Aliens are killing people, claims real-life 'Close Encounters' scientist

4-30-2025 | 4
Vatican secret archives.
The UFO Phenomenon

Next pope to be urged to release UFO files from Vatican's archives

4-29-2025 | 12
Rover from Space
Space & Astronomy

First-of-its-kind NASA image shows rover on Mars taken from space

4-29-2025 | 1
Phrenologist
Metaphysics & Psychology

The strange world of phrenology, or 'reading the bumps on your head'

4-28-2025 | 11
World of the Bizarre

80-year-old falls from 6th floor window... then walks away unscathed

4-28-2025 | 20
View More News