Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix creation involves the cold case of a stalker who terrorized a New Jersey family for months using threatening letters. the vigilant is based on an article by Reeves Wiedeman on The cut detailing the harassment experienced by the Broaddus family after purchasing a $1.3 million property in Westfield, New Jersey.
The Broaddus family sold the rights to their story on the condition that the project not use the Broaddus name, and the showrunners cast actors who did not resemble the victims.
Derek and Maria Broaddus, parents of three young children, were bullied by a terrifying bully.
Derek and Maria Broaddus live in a house in Westfield that they bought through an LLC
Derek and Maria Broaddus and their children | Facebook
The Broadduses received their first letter from the Watcher three days after purchasing the property. He seemed kind-hearted at first, but his tone quickly turned sinister. The writer claimed that it was his turn to watch the house and wait for his ‘second coming’. The correspondence said:
“My grandfather took care of the house in the 1920s and my father took care of it in the 1960s. Now is my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what’s inside the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I’ll find out.”
In the second letter, the writer mentions the Broaddus by name, including the identities and birth order of the children, suggesting that they had collected information on the new owners.
The bully sent a letter suggesting they wanted to hurt the children, whom they referred to as ‘young blood’. The letter said:
“If you were upstairs you would never hear them [the children] shout. Will they sleep in the attic? Or will everyone sleep on the second floor? Who has the bedrooms facing the street? I’ll know as soon as you move in. It will help me figure out who is in which bedroom. Then I can plan better.”
The cut reported that Derek and Maria Broaddus borrowed money from the family and bought another home in Westfield in 2016. The couple bought the home through a limited liability company to make it difficult for Watcher to locate the family’s new residence.
Derek is active on Twitter, sharing stories about bullying and child safety. He occasionally posts about his experiences with the Watcher.
The Broaddus never got to live at 657 Boulevard
After purchasing the property at 657 Boulevard, the Broddauses hired renovators to fix up the house before moving in, angering the Watcher.
“You don’t want to make 657 Boulevard unhappy,” the stalker wrote. “[You] They have flooded 657 Boulevard with contractors so they can destroy the house the way it was supposed to be.”
The Broadduses asked the previous owners, the Woods family, if they had received any threatening letters from a mystery stalker. The Woods family said he received a non-threatening letter after he moved.
Derek and Maria sued the Woods family for fraudulent concealment and negligent infliction of emotional distress. A Pennsylvania court dismissed the case.
The Broaduses never moved to 657 Boulevard. Six months after purchasing the property, it was put up for sale. However, the letters discouraged potential buyers from buying the house.
Police investigations into the origin of the letters were unsuccessful. Neighbors suspected that the Broadduses were sending the letters to themselves in an attempt to avoid moving into the abode. Derek and Maria hired a private investigator to look into the threats; the ip did not find anything.
In 2016, the planning board rejected a proposal by a developer to tear down the house and build two smaller properties on the lot. Fortunately, the family found people willing to rent 657 Boulevard. Before the tenants moved in, Derek found a letter threatening the family’s safety:
“Maybe a car accident. Maybe a fire. Maybe something as simple as a minor illness that never seems to go away but makes you feel bad day after day after day after day. Perhaps the mysterious death of a pet. Loved ones die suddenly. Planes, cars and bicycles collide. Bones break.
In July 2019, Derek and Maria sold the property at a loss. They bought the house for $1,355,657 and spent $100,000 on renovations; They sold it for $959,000.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn