"I am glad that I learned your names, as well as the names of the young blood that you brought to me," wrote the mysterious "Observer". The family started getting threatening letters just a week after she moved into the house. They received their first letter just three days after the purchase was finalized. The author signed the name of the Observer, and indeed, he was closely watching the Broaddus home. He knew how many children they had and announced that when he knew the names of their children, he would "bring them to him". He was glad to see "young blood." He followed their every move.
The Broaddus family bought their dream home in June 2014 and after renovation, they wanted to move in, but after receiving a terrifying letter from an anonymous sender, everything changed
Derek and Maria had three children who the stranger wrote about "young blood". "Have you filled the house with young blood, as I asked?" asked the stranger in the letter and announced that soon he would "call the children to him".
As a result, the family never moved into a house worth over PLN 1 million, and over the years tried unsuccessfully to sell it, while the story grew louder.
It has been hailed as one of the strangest stories ever heard, and Netflix is making a series based on it.
A story straight from an American horror film happened to a family living in Westfield, New Jersey. Threatening letters began regularly arriving at the address of the house where a married couple with three young children had moved in. They were all signed "Observer". The family received the first of them on June 5, 2014. The broadcaster informed the new tenants that "the house is under surveillance". Later in the letter he wrote: “Where are you? I will find out. I asked [the previous owners] to give me young blood ... I will know your names and I will draw you to me. " In the months that followed, the news grew ever more ominous. "Who lives in rooms with windows facing the street? If I find out who occupies each bedroom, I will be able to plan everything better "- wrote" Observer ".
It could be a really good horror movie script, but it was written by life itself. In June 2014, the Broaddus family purchased a home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. It was a dream come true for over one million dollars. Six bedrooms, a quiet neighborhood well known to Maria Broaddus, whose family home was just a few streets away. Her husband, Derek Broaddus, was also pleased with the purchase, and he was glad that shortly after his 40th birthday he was able to provide a safe haven for his wife and three children. However, it quickly turned out that the purchase was not related to safety, on the contrary. Three days of the couple's presence in this place was enough to destroy their peace. And it all started with a letter.
In another letter, he asked the question, "Have you already discovered what is hidden in the walls"? The family reported the matter to the police, but the police were unable to identify the perpetrator. Then the marriage decided to move out. Soon after, a lawsuit was filed with the court against the previous owners of the property. The couple says their predecessors deliberately concealed the house's history, especially the fact that it became the target of the "Observer," "the mentally disturbed individual claiming property."
In another letter, he asked the question, "Have you already discovered what is hidden in the walls"? The family reported the matter to the police, but the police were unable to identify the perpetrator. Then the marriage decided to move out. Soon after, a lawsuit was filed with the court against the previous owners of the property. The couple say their predecessors deliberately concealed the house's history, especially the fact that it became the target of the "Observer," "the mentally disturbed individual claiming property."
Derek hadn't expected to find anything interesting in his letterbox, some flyers at most, and they hadn't even moved in yet. He had come with Maria to oversee the work before the official move, but he was home alone that particular day. In the evening he decided to check the box, maybe out of curiosity, may be out of boredom.
To his surprise, he found a letter inside and it was addressed to "new neighbors". It began with an innocent sentence: "Let me welcome you to the neighborhood." Derek continued reading with interest, but quickly regretted opening the envelope at all.
"How did you get here? Did the power of the house draw you to it?" - asked the anonymous addressee of the letter. And then he explained that the house at 657 Boulevard had been of interest to his family for decades. "Now the house is approaching its 110th birthday. My grandfather watched it in the 1920s, my father watched it in the 1960s, and now it's my turn. Do you know the history of this house? Do you know what is inside its walls? Why here? are you? I'll find out.
The author of the letter must have been observing the house, because he knew that there were already workers inside, carrying out renovation works. He didn't like that. "You are destroying the house, it shouldn't be like that. Bad move. You don't want to make it unhappy," he commented.
The worst part was about the children of Derek and Maria. It was he who made my father's heart stop.
"You have children. I've seen them. I've counted three so far. Will you fill the house with young blood as I asked? Was your old house too small for your growing family? Or is it greed that brought your children to me? When will I know their names? I'll call them to myself. "
The observer counted the children well. There were three of them aged 5, 8, and 10. They have not moved into the house yet but were to see him. Only once so far. This indicated that the author of the letter was not joking at all, and if he did, then he was very much involved.
"Who am I? Hundreds of cars pass this way every day. Maybe I am in one of them. Look at the windows that you can see from 657 Boulevard. Maybe I am in one of them. You will pay attention to all the people who walk around during the day. one of them".
"Hello, my friends. Let the party begin" - the author who signed as "The Watcher" ends his letter.
After reading the letter, a terrified Derek ran into the house, feeling the stranger's eyes on him. He turned off all the lights in the house, knowing that the writer of the letter could be watching him. Later he decided to call the police. This is how the whole family's nightmare began, which did not end soon. The policemen who had arrived after Derek had been called were dismayed by the contents of the letter. They asked if Derek had enemies, someone to wish his family ill. But this one could not name anyone. After returning to the old house, he told his wife everything. Together, they decided to contact the previous owners of the house on 657 Boulevard, the Woods, from whom they had bought the house. And ask them about the Watcher.
Andrea Woods admitted that they had received a strange letter from the Observer just before the move. However, it was the first such event in 23 years, which they spent at 657 Boulevard. Andrea did not care about the letter and threw it into the trash.
Derek and Maria wondered what to do next? The police did not underestimate the matter and instructed them not to tell anyone about the strange letter and to keep a close eye on the neighbors. They were the ones suspected of having a strange welcome "joke", which, however, made no one laugh.
The Broaddus family continued to renovate their new home, and their children began to visit more often. Parents trembled for their children and did not take their eyes off them. They functioned in a state of increased vigilance. When one of their new neighbors said it was "good to have young blood in the neighborhood," red warning lights came on immediately. Is it the Observer?
Two weeks after receiving the first strange letter, another one arrived. The observer did not let go and continued to watch their property closely. He had already found out their last names, even though he had made a mistake. He addressed the letter to Mr. and Mrs. Braddus instead of Broaddus. He also learned the names and nicknames of children, as well as their favorite activities. For example, he knew that Derek and Maria's daughter liked to paint.
Does young blood play in the basement? Or maybe she's too afraid to go down there alone. If they were, I would be very scared. It is very far from the rest of the house. If you had been upstairs then, you would never have heard the screams of the children.
After this letter, Derek and Maria stopped taking the kids to their new home. They were no longer sure if the move would take place. After some time, another, third letter arrived. The observer asked where the whole family was. "657 Boulevard misses you," he wrote.
Derek and Maria were watching each of their neighbors closely. A few days after receiving the first letter, they were invited to a barbecue with one of the families living in the area. If it weren't for the letter, they probably would have been having a good time. They were warmly welcomed, the children had the opportunity to meet their peers as if everything was fine. But Derek kept wondering if there was an Observer among the guests.
Some neighbors especially caught his attention. They lived across from them and seemed strange. In addition, what he heard from a neighbor matched the Observer's letters. His family had also lived in Westfield for generations. Derek told everything to the police, and the police interrogated the indicated neighbor, who, to put it mildly, was shocked. Then it turned out that he had nothing to do with the letters.
The police seemed helpless and the fear in the family grew until they had three letters in which someone had threatened their children. Derek became particularly involved in the case, feeling he had to protect his loved ones from the Watcher. The home was the Observer's obsession with the house, he later told a New York Times journalist who wrote a large report on the case. And Derek's obsession was the Watcher.
The family hired a private investigator, installed cameras, and sometimes Derek watched the area himself at night, hoping to stumble upon the Watcher. However, this did not happen. After several months of renovation works, the house was ready to welcome the whole family. Only the family was not ready to move anymore. Maria and Derek were terrified of the thought that their children might live in it.
They did not want to endanger them but had to leave their old house, which they had already sold. So they decided to move to Maria's parents, and at the same time had to pay 657 Boulevard. So it wasn't a solution for long. What to do? Maria and Derek were in a deteriorating condition - she started seeing a therapist who diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder. He began to suffer from depression.
Finally, the therapist told Maria that they had to get rid of the house or they would never have peace again.
The family tried to sell the house. The decision was made six months after the house was purchased and three letters from the Observer. It was not that simple, however, because, despite the fact that the family did not tell anyone about the letters, various rumors began to circulate. One of the real estate agents wrote that he had a willing buyer, but he had doubts because he heard that someone dangerous might be on the loose in the area.
Maria and Derek were honest and decided to share excerpts from their letters with people interested in buying the house. They promised to show the full versions to those who make the final decision. But the passages were enough to deter all potential buyers. Even the significant reduction in the price of the house did not help.
In 2015, the Broaddus family brought up against the wall, decided to sue the former owners of the house - John and Andrea Woods, who, in their opinion, concealed from them the fact that someone had an unhealthy interest in the house and could be dangerous for its new residents. The case was dismissed, however, and the Broaddus family was back on the square.
Two years after receiving the first Observer's letter, the family borrowed money from loved ones and bought another home in Westfield. Derek wanted to leave town, but Maria insisted they stay. She said the Watcher had already taken too much from them, and she did not want to leave the place where she had grown up.
The case of the Woods family meant that the case grew high. It has even been hailed by the American media as one of the strangest stories ever heard. No wonder it deserved the name. The chance to sell the observed house decreased and it was only possible after many years because in mid-2019 the family received less than a million for it, so they lost at least half a million zlotys. But she regained her composure.
To this day, it is not known who the Observer is. And we will probably never find out again. Why was he suddenly silent? Why did he start writing letters at all? These questions will remain unanswered. The terrifying story inspires the creators to this day. Netflix has bought the rights to it and is preparing a miniseries about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment