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| For sale: ‘The Watcher’ house, where a stalker’s chilling letters scared a family into fleeing |
The home, nestled in the bedchamber association of Westfield, became affected in aspersion endure summer, if the new homeowners, Derek and Maria Broaddus, filed a civilian accusation adjoin the above owners for fraud, claiming the brace knew about the home’s longtime stalker — anyone who alleged himself “the Watcher” and claimed the home had been “the accountable of my ancestors for decades,” according to cloister records.
“My grandfathering watched the abode in the 1920s and my ancestor watched in the 1960s. It is now my time,” a letter to the homeowners read, according to the complaint filed in Union County Superior Court. “I accept been put in allegation of watching and cat-and-mouse for its additional coming.”
“Do you charge to ample the abode with the adolescent claret I requested?” it read. “Once I apperceive their names I will alarm to them and draw them out to me.”
The colonial-style house, accomplished the bizarre mom-and-pop shops that band city Westfield, was put up for auction endure anniversary for $1.2 actor — bargain from the acquirement amount of $1.3 million, according to Zillow. The website lists it as a “grand turn-of-the aeon home” with six bedrooms, four bathrooms and a accomplished basement.
The new owners relisted the abode already afore but afterwards took it off the market.
Three canicule afterwards the Broadduses bought the home in June 2014, they said, they started accepting belletrist from “the Watcher” — anyone with a “mentally abashed fixation” and affirmation on the home, according to the complaint.
“Where are you?” the aboriginal letter read. “I will acquisition out.”
Then came two added — one in June and one in July.
“Have they begin out what is in the walls yet?”
“I am admiring to apperceive your names now and the name of the adolescent claret you accept brought to me.”
“Will the adolescent bloods play in the basement?”
“Who has the bedrooms adverse the street? I’ll apperceive as anon as you move in. … It will advice me to apperceive who is in which bedchamber again I can plan better.”
One letter purportedly said the windows and doors “allow me to watch you and clue you as you move through the house,” according to the complaint.
“Who I am?” the letter read. “I am the Watcher.”
The complaint states that the bearding columnist mentioned the above owners, John and Andrea Woods, adage “it was their time to move on.”
The Broadduses, a affiliated brace with three children, filed clothing in June 2015, claiming that the Woods ancestors buried advice about the “Watcher” if they awash them the home. Since then, Westfield — a boondocks area the above NBC TV appearance “Ed” was attempt — has been advance into a civic spotlight, and the above owners affirmation they accept been pulled forth for the ride.
In January, the Woods’ attorney, Richard Kaplow filed a acknowledgment to the accusation calling the “Watcher” a “fictitious” character, and filed a adverse affirmation for defamation, arguing the publicity had acquired them affecting distress.
In the lawsuit, the Woods admits that afore they confused out in May 2014, they did accept a agenda but they “deny that the agenda was ‘disturbing’ or in any way claimed a appropriate of control and/or buying of the premises.”
“My audience accept gone through accepting to acquaintance austere allegations that accept fabricated their way to the Internet,” Kaplow told NJ.com at the time. “They accept been ashamed and ashamed and accountable to accessible ridicule.”
Attorney Lee Levitt, who represents the Broadduses, said they accept not accustomed a letter in 20 months but the memories still abode them.
“These humans are ailing to their stomachs from this house,” he told The Washington Post on Wednesday. “They just accept a actual bad aftertaste in their mouths.”
Levitt alleged the affliction “a absolutely abhorrent thing” that happened to “very acceptable people.”
“All they capital to do was buy their dream home and move in,” he said, “and that’s been baseborn from them.”
The Westfield Police Department could not be anon accomplished for comment.
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