00:00:00:00 - 00:00:09:23 Unknown That's. 00:00:09:23 - 00:00:31:08 Unknown And higher and higher and. 00:00:31:10 - 00:00:58:04 Unknown If you dig the twisted, admired the outlandish, and are enamored by the unusual, you're in the right place. True crime, the supernatural, the unexplained. Now you're speaking our language. If you agree. Join us as we dive into the darker side. You know, because it's more fun over here. Welcome to Total Conundrum. 00:00:58:06 - 00:01:09:26 Unknown One. Someone's first move. Born forward. Courtroom. Scarborough. This discussion is advanced. 00:01:09:26 - 00:01:14:25 Unknown Hey hey hey conundrum crew. Welcome back to another exciting episode of Total Conundrum. 00:01:14:25 - 00:01:34:28 Unknown Today, Tracy and I are thrilled to take you on an unforgettable journey into the realm of the mysterious and unknown. That's right, folks, and hold on to your seats, because we're about to delve into the unnerving tale of the infamous 657 Boulevard, better known as The Watcher House. 00:01:34:28 - 00:02:06:14 Unknown Picture this. Nestled in the serene suburbs of a quaint town stands a grand Victorian mansion. But behind its picturesque facade lies a dark secret straight out of a horror movie. legend has it that a sinister entity known as The Watcher has claimed ownership of this house, tormenting its inhabitants with chilling letters and ominous threats. Ooh, 00:02:06:14 - 00:02:18:08 Unknown Imagine receiving letters filled with cryptic messages, warnings of unseen eyes, watching your every move. It's enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Heck, yeah. 00:02:18:08 - 00:02:36:25 Unknown But who or what is the watcher? I don't know. Tell me. We'll get to it. Okay. And what malevolent force lurks within the shadows of 657 Boulevard, preying on the unsuspecting souls who dare to call it home. 00:02:36:28 - 00:02:38:03 Unknown Come 00:02:38:03 - 00:02:52:19 Unknown now? Join us as we peel back the layers of mystery surrounding the watcher. Who's uncovering the dark truths that lie hidden within its walls. So grab a flashlight and steal your nerves. 00:02:52:19 - 00:02:56:13 Unknown Because this is the story you won't want to experience alone. 00:02:56:13 - 00:03:08:14 Unknown As always, we value your feedback. Please rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify. Subscribe and like on YouTube and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode. 00:03:08:17 - 00:03:23:13 Unknown Who you are. Your support keeps us going. If you have any story, ideas or recommendations, contact us at Talk conundrum.com or you can find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. 00:03:23:13 - 00:03:34:00 Unknown Today we'll be featuring trailers from our podcast pals where the weird ones are. And dorky. Please show them the love and support that you show us. 00:03:34:00 - 00:03:41:13 Unknown Stay tuned. Conundrum crew as we embark on a bone chilling journey into the heart of the 657 boulevard 00:03:41:13 - 00:03:48:00 Unknown and confront the terrors that await within and let the adventure begin. 00:03:48:02 - 00:03:50:04 Unknown You give me. 00:03:50:04 - 00:03:52:17 Unknown We'll be back after these messages. 00:03:52:17 - 00:04:33:20 Unknown What's up, frickin weirdos? My name is Kevin, and I'm the host of Where the Weird Ones Are podcast. This is a conversational podcast based on guest experiences and encounters with paranormal cryptids, aliens, spirituality, mental health, as well as conspiracies. If these topics interest you, you can find me on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart radio, as well as YouTube and Rumble. 00:04:33:22 - 00:05:06:05 Unknown If you have an encounter or experience of something that you can't quite explain, I would love to hear from you. You can reach out to me at where the weird ones are at gmail.com, where underscore the weird ones are on Instagram and where the weird ones are on Facebook. I hope to hear from you my friends question everything and stay weird. 00:05:09:20 - 00:05:30:12 Unknown So. In June 2014, after Derek Broadus finished painting at his new home in Westfield, new Jersey, he needed a break and to stretch his legs. Oh, poor baby. He decided to go outside to get the mail. Derek and his wife Maria had just bought 00:05:30:12 - 00:05:33:24 Unknown The six bedroom house at 657 00:05:33:24 - 00:05:34:26 Unknown Boulevard. 00:05:34:28 - 00:05:49:27 Unknown Three days earlier. And were fixing it up before moving in. Among the usual bills, he found a white envelope with thick, clunky writing addressed to the new owner, with no return address. 00:05:49:27 - 00:05:59:29 Unknown The Broaddus family's purchase of 657 Boulevard was a dream come true. Maria had grown up in Westfield, and the house was close to her childhood home. 00:05:59:29 - 00:06:04:18 Unknown Derek had worked very hard starting from a working class background in Maine, 00:06:04:18 - 00:06:10:12 Unknown and he eventually became a senior vice president, an insurance company in Manhattan. 00:06:10:12 - 00:06:19:09 Unknown his salary allowed them to afford the $1.3 million house they bought 657 Boulevard shortly after Derek turned 40. 00:06:19:16 - 00:06:23:06 Unknown Wow. Mr. moneybags. Holy crap. 00:06:23:06 - 00:06:32:25 Unknown Derek opened the envelope and began to read the typed letter. Oh, this can't be good, right? And the letter says, 00:06:32:25 - 00:06:47:26 Unknown Those people. It's false. And then I corrected it to the people. Or did you read up how six, five, seven people 00:06:47:26 - 00:06:52:04 Unknown created to know what I thought it would be? 00:06:52:06 - 00:07:08:02 Unknown Six, five, seven. Springer said are firm for getting small. And as you can see, 200 bottom opens. All right. 00:07:09:07 - 00:07:11:19 Unknown So I'm searching for 00:07:11:19 - 00:07:16:10 Unknown what? Redfin for the host of the right audience 00:07:16:10 - 00:07:21:10 Unknown for a month for the next number. Ten, 60 years. 00:07:21:10 - 00:07:30:19 Unknown And he's no more at home born for. Told you. Wow. Do you know the history of the house? 00:07:30:19 - 00:07:45:24 Unknown No. No one knows. Within the walls. It's 657. Believe there value home. I mean, for, you know, creepy 00:07:45:29 - 00:07:53:29 Unknown Facility that you know 4657 people were told to choose. 00:07:53:29 - 00:08:11:16 Unknown were looking to score the homes as it was supposed to be. Taste testers, they move. You don't want to be 657 people or. Nope, no. You want to 00:08:11:16 - 00:08:34:21 Unknown ensemble so far, but they do what people? I think we're all time. But I thought to earth and when we turned on the notes, the works to bring me over and it looks be awesome. 00:08:34:21 - 00:08:46:22 Unknown Do you need to thank the host with the young dude? I requested, for me or some old hands to be forgotten firmly. 00:08:46:22 - 00:08:57:11 Unknown Oh, that's a great way to bring me. Looks over. What's an older bridge? I want to go and draw boob tube. 00:08:57:11 - 00:09:04:19 Unknown Woman. Oh, what happens with homes that were born? 00:09:04:22 - 00:09:19:06 Unknown 657 bring it down. It's too baby on the wall. You did all the windows. You can see from 647. Ball down, 00:09:19:06 - 00:09:21:06 Unknown baby. Oh, look. Yeah, 00:09:21:06 - 00:09:22:23 Unknown you go. 00:09:22:23 - 00:09:31:19 Unknown Any of the baby windows. So will be the way the people will scribble. 00:09:31:19 - 00:09:33:20 Unknown Baby on one 00:09:33:20 - 00:09:42:03 Unknown greater than forms at. 00:09:42:06 - 00:09:43:12 Unknown and this letter 00:09:43:12 - 00:09:50:00 Unknown was signed in a cursive font. The watcher. What 00:09:50:00 - 00:10:19:03 Unknown would you do if you received a letter like that and cry? It's so scary. That is creepy as hell. Creepy. Have, Yeah. Oh, yeah. So it was after 10 p.m. and Derek was alone at the time, panicked, he quickly turned off the lights to prevent anyone from seeing inside, and then contacted the Westfield Police Department. 00:10:19:05 - 00:10:25:27 Unknown An officer arrived and read the disturbing letter and reacted with shock. And he asked 00:10:25:27 - 00:10:49:21 Unknown what the thought process couldn't have said it better myself. I know that's how I feel about it. This just crazy. Followed by asking Derek if he had any enemies concerned for their safety, the officer suggested moving a piece of construction equipment from the back porch to prevent potential attacks by the watcher. 00:10:49:28 - 00:10:51:25 Unknown I'd be in some hellhounds, 00:10:51:25 - 00:10:53:18 Unknown right? The goddamn doors, 00:10:53:18 - 00:11:15:11 Unknown right that I would. I c I don't think I would turn off all the lights. I would either be leaving or turning every light on because I want to see everything that's in that house. You would already been in the truck in New Mexico. Probably, heading for the border. 00:11:15:13 - 00:11:40:20 Unknown I'm gonna try to see. Do you see the smoke? the Tracy sized hole in the wall as I ran through it. I know her legs could move that fast. Look at her go. Shoot. She goes. And as, we said in the resurrection episode, she goes, you go. Oh, yeah. Derek quickly returned home to his family. 00:11:40:21 - 00:12:05:26 Unknown They were staying at their previous home elsewhere in Westfield. That night, Derek and Maria emailed John and Andrea Woods, the couple who had sold them 657 Boulevard, asking if they had any clue about the identity of the watcher or why. The letter contained unsettling phrases like I asked the woods to bring me young blood, and it looks like they listened. 00:12:05:28 - 00:12:22:29 Unknown I mean, creepy as hell. You can't just say. I mean, even if they said bring me children that be creepy as hell. But to phrase it as bringing me young, bring blood, young blood, 00:12:23:04 - 00:12:24:19 Unknown The next morning, 00:12:24:19 - 00:12:41:08 Unknown Andrea Woods responded. She revealed that a few days before they moved out, they had also received a letter from the watcher. Andrea described the note as strange, with similar references to the watchers family observing the house over time. 00:12:41:08 - 00:12:49:05 Unknown However, Andrea and her husband hadn't encountered anything like this during the 23 years in the house, and had simply thrown the letter 00:12:49:05 - 00:12:51:25 Unknown away without much considering an 00:12:51:25 - 00:13:03:07 Unknown I. If I got a letter like that, I wouldn't just throw it away. Yeah, you'd probably call the cops first, right? And then they would throw it away and, 00:13:03:07 - 00:13:07:25 Unknown in response, the Woods's accompanied Maria to the police station. 00:13:07:25 - 00:13:18:06 Unknown That day, detective Leonard Lugo advised Maria not to disclose the existence of the letters to anyone, including her neighbors, most of 00:13:18:06 - 00:13:20:01 Unknown whom she had never met. 00:13:20:01 - 00:13:27:02 Unknown Everyone to cover up conspiracy. the cops are involved. The cops are involved. They did it. 00:13:27:02 - 00:13:35:23 Unknown Everyone in the neighborhood was now considered a suspect. The property's too close to Dunkin Donuts. You must leave. 00:13:35:26 - 00:13:37:15 Unknown they need their hideout 00:13:37:15 - 00:13:40:17 Unknown be able to eat their donuts and drink their coffee. 00:13:40:17 - 00:13:52:08 Unknown In the following weeks, the Broaddus family remained on edge. Derek decided to cancel the work trip, unwilling to leave his family in such an unsettling situation. 00:13:52:08 - 00:13:57:22 Unknown Whenever Maria brought the kids to their new home, she made sure to call out their names loudly 00:13:57:22 - 00:14:01:07 Unknown if they strayed too far away in the secluded yard 00:14:01:07 - 00:14:32:15 Unknown During a tour of the renovation for a neighboring couple, Derek was taken aback when the wife casually remarked, it be nice to have some young blood in the neighborhood, red flags. What's happened and why her? And why are we saying the term young blood? It's just wrong. It's a little creepy. So this innocent comment struck a nerve, reminding them of the unsettling messages that they had received. 00:14:32:15 - 00:14:38:28 Unknown Adding to their unease, the general contractor arrived one morning to find that a heavy sign he had 00:14:38:28 - 00:14:42:10 Unknown firmly planted in the front yard had been 00:14:42:10 - 00:14:44:20 Unknown forcibly removed overnight, 00:14:44:20 - 00:14:47:27 Unknown further heightening the sense of vulnerability and fear. 00:14:47:27 - 00:15:15:17 Unknown Two weeks after receiving the initial letter, Maria visited the house to browse some paint samples and collect the mail. As she sifted through the letters, she immediately recognized the distinctive thick black lettering and another card shaped envelope. Oh, here we go again. Yeah. Sensing the potential threat, she promptly contacted the police for assistance. See that? That's where you know, the first people were probably smirked. 00:15:15:17 - 00:15:26:27 Unknown It just threw the first one away and said, yeah, whatever, you know. So they probably kept throwing them away for a while, just ignoring him. That's probably right. Then they probably just gave up after a while. 00:15:26:27 - 00:15:32:24 Unknown yeah, he's not getting any attention from it. He or she then. Yeah. 00:15:32:24 - 00:15:37:16 Unknown that's no fun. No. Well this letter said 00:15:37:16 - 00:15:55:15 Unknown Wait for them to go so you can see them being at them. A lot of separate person were walking and then coffee from spoons, little strong points towards 00:15:55:15 - 00:16:04:29 Unknown of your phone. We're going to see a very small, term, room. What does he mean by that? What the fuck is in the walls? 00:16:05:04 - 00:16:33:20 Unknown I'm afraid now. I mean, really, I mean, seriously, could you put the letter down and burn it? Burn it to the ground, please? Don't be ridiculous. Well, this time the watcher addressed Derek and Maria directly. However, he misspelled their names as Mr. and Mrs. Broaddus. Jesus only got a third grade judge magician? Geez, give him a break here. 00:16:33:23 - 00:16:48:27 Unknown This raised unsettling questions. Had the watcher been close enough to overhear one of the Protestant contractors addressing them? The watcher claimed to have gathered extensive knowledge about the family over the preceding weeks, 00:16:48:27 - 00:16:51:25 Unknown particularly about the children. Oh, 00:16:51:25 - 00:16:58:28 Unknown the letter chillingly identified the brightest three kids by their birth order and nicknames. 00:16:59:00 - 00:17:00:04 Unknown How 00:17:00:04 - 00:17:01:06 Unknown bright? 00:17:01:06 - 00:17:04:07 Unknown And the letter continues to say, 00:17:04:07 - 00:17:11:28 Unknown please sign in the dreams of the young report reporter 00:17:11:28 - 00:17:15:15 Unknown You saw no names, although 00:17:15:15 - 00:17:17:24 Unknown what a creeper 00:17:17:24 - 00:17:23:14 Unknown that just, bringing the kids into it. That's a no go zone. That's a red zone, dude. 00:17:23:21 - 00:17:27:01 Unknown Yeah, that's a touchy topic. 00:17:27:01 - 00:17:31:07 Unknown the letter further probed about one child in particular, 00:17:31:07 - 00:17:48:02 Unknown whom the writer had observed using an easel inside the enclosed porch. And he said, oh, shit. Oh, goodness. 5100. This intimate knowledge and unnerving focus intensified 00:17:48:02 - 00:17:55:20 Unknown the broadest sense, fear and sense of invasion. Well, hell yeah, time to move you or what? Right. 00:17:55:20 - 00:17:56:01 Unknown Oh, yeah. 00:17:56:05 - 00:18:18:17 Unknown How long were you gonna do this? Or, that's. I mean, ghosts are one thing, but people are even creepier and can actually harm you. But, I mean, if he's watching them, then they should be able to watch him. You would think so. It's only fair, you know, cameras and you know, all the good stuff. They could be setting that up. 00:18:18:17 - 00:18:43:01 Unknown They could catch him. And then what I would do is I would bag up some poop and then throw it on his porch and light it on fire. ring his doorbell. Did he nae nae nae nae. Hello, watcher. Watch this, watch this. You mother. well, the letter continued. Oh, boy. 00:18:43:01 - 00:18:44:18 Unknown It goes on and on and on. 00:18:44:18 - 00:18:49:09 Unknown It's like a revolving door. It does? and he says, 00:18:49:09 - 00:18:56:24 Unknown Six figures. Okay. My phone's exhausted. Confirm it is bad news and, you 00:18:56:24 - 00:19:04:04 Unknown Don't be like. Hey, hey, those will be for global security. It's all 00:19:04:04 - 00:19:07:09 Unknown over your place in the basement. 00:19:07:09 - 00:19:11:24 Unknown The two of fun got all the screws. 00:19:11:24 - 00:19:14:23 Unknown All on the phone for one. Now. 00:19:14:23 - 00:19:18:06 Unknown Just for one for push your heinous 00:19:18:06 - 00:19:27:12 Unknown if you will snooze. You know who goes my, 00:19:27:12 - 00:19:30:05 Unknown Sleep on the, 00:19:30:05 - 00:19:33:28 Unknown one more sweep that was looking for 00:19:33:28 - 00:19:40:20 Unknown Rose. The big March 1st, and then the second. Oh, boom boom boom 00:19:40:20 - 00:19:48:00 Unknown boom boom boom. It works on the computer. Boom! 00:19:48:00 - 00:19:57:10 Unknown How you doing? Boom boom boom. So the bathroom wall works for a commercial move throughout the house. 00:19:57:12 - 00:20:00:21 Unknown Number one on the wall. Trump. 00:20:00:21 - 00:20:07:10 Unknown New burner control of security server. Big apple thermal pillow pockets. Dirty small, 00:20:07:10 - 00:20:19:26 Unknown watch firmware. Come over here. You know what's new to do? Told to be there in three weeks without most turn 00:20:19:26 - 00:20:35:20 Unknown or one. Many times you do 650 sober before he's worked all or month. My obsession? No, no. Well, two burgers for more. 00:20:35:29 - 00:20:39:22 Unknown No more. Come on. For boy. 00:20:39:22 - 00:20:43:12 Unknown Welcome to the port of no room. 00:20:43:12 - 00:20:48:29 Unknown Groupies were bought at Pearl Street. Firm wants to suck fucking a bathroom. 00:20:48:29 - 00:20:53:07 Unknown No water to be. 00:20:53:07 - 00:21:02:26 Unknown Over. Help me move it! Boom! Lower be water. Wow. Freaky 00:21:02:26 - 00:21:09:17 Unknown I mean that voice two that you hear in your head. It freaks the heck out of me. 00:21:09:19 - 00:21:27:29 Unknown It is very creepy, very chilling. And when you read that letter, that's how you hear the voice. I mean I mean, that's how I hear to be just the way he writes is very distinct and odd. Right. And 00:21:27:29 - 00:21:56:01 Unknown it's so powerful of a voice that it's like I can feel it in my vocal chords. It's like they're getting sore. I've listening to him talk. Right. It's crazy. You have empathy of right. Having to read all that and vocal cord empathy. Totally. You know, I'll Derek and Maria decided to stop bringing their children to the house, unsure when or if they would feel safe enough to move in. 00:21:56:08 - 00:22:08:07 Unknown I mean, I wonder why write a valid point? Why are you even thinking about moving in writing? Be like, can I get my money back, please? Right. 00:22:08:07 - 00:22:16:23 Unknown Well, several weeks later, a third letter arrived. Oh, God. What now? Ominously asking. 00:22:16:23 - 00:22:19:01 Unknown What? Hope you don't turn 00:22:19:01 - 00:22:50:07 Unknown six back to severe, Bruce. Thank you. creeper. What a whack job. I mean, what does that even mean? It's like a riddle. That is. Riddle me this, Riddler. Who is 657 Boulevard. Missing them. Or is he missing them because he's not getting the attention? Yeah, he's a weirdo. Very much so. So does everybody die in this story? 00:22:50:09 - 00:23:16:11 Unknown Everyone dies. I figured it's one of your stories. actually, this time, no one dies. Holy. What? Right. No way. I don't believe you. Let's get on with this. All right, let's get on with it. All right. This message only added to the family's distress and uncertainty about their future in the home. Shocker, right. Westfield is often referred to as Mayberry. 00:23:16:13 - 00:23:36:22 Unknown Similar to the picturesque setting of The Andy Griffith Show, where new neighbors might greet you with a friendly note. Situated just 45 minutes from New York City, it's considered a bit too slow paced for singles, attracting primarily well-to-do families among its 30,000 residents 00:23:36:22 - 00:23:47:05 Unknown Although Bloomberg ranked Westfield as the 99th richest city in America, it's only the 18th wealthiest in new Jersey 00:23:47:05 - 00:23:51:26 Unknown and comes right out about budget bombs. 00:23:51:29 - 00:23:56:29 Unknown In 2014, when the watcher first struck, the town was named the country as 00:23:56:29 - 00:24:21:23 Unknown 30th safest. By neighborhood scout. They must have never met this dude, right? So couple fun facts, okay? The guy who, created the Addams Family show, he lived in this town. No way. And he made or designed the Addams Family house off of the homes in Westfield. 00:24:22:00 - 00:24:51:01 Unknown Really? And for it being the country's 30th safest state. I don't know if you know this case, but John List is. No this case. Hey, he's a family annihilator, okay? Killed his mother, wife and their three children. So it's basically like Ohio. Yes. Got it. But he lived in this town as well. Okay. Makes sense. Makes sense? 00:24:51:01 - 00:25:20:27 Unknown Yeah. Maybe it's the same dude. Definitely. Cologne. Could be and could be solved. The mystery. Yeah. Cold case solved. Yeah. Mr. conundrum, did it. Whoo hoo hoo! some like, Arsenio Hall. Yeah. hadn't heard that name in a long time. The dog boom. That's right. 00:25:20:27 - 00:25:35:00 Unknown their local concerns tend to revolve around minor issues, like the temporary closure of Trader Joe's. No, due to a roof collapse? No. Right. Don't close the Trader Joe's weenie. That 00:25:35:00 - 00:26:02:13 Unknown And what residents describe as unconstitutional policing. Mainly referring to aggressive parking enforcement. Ooh, ooh. Can't park in the wrong spot. Are you going to get a ticket? Oh, yeah. It cops are strict down there. Well, they damn well they took over his house. Their house for don't. And even so, I know it's worth noting that Westfield's population is predominantly white, comprising 00:26:02:13 - 00:26:05:25 Unknown 86% of its residents. 00:26:05:25 - 00:26:39:22 Unknown buying a house in Westfield is widely acknowledged by locals as challenging and a competitive endeavor, according to one resident, who preferred to remain anonymous when discussing Westfield's real estate. The process is tense, with both significant and financial stakes and egos. Bidding wars are not uncommon, with instances where friends have lost out on properties by staggering amounts, sometimes up to 300,000 over asking price. 00:26:39:24 - 00:26:47:20 Unknown Wow. Losers. Wow. And why did they want to stay anonymous? It's kind of funny. Manager 00:26:47:20 - 00:26:58:20 Unknown I did this to stay off the record, but this is what happens in this town. They abuse dirty money. Dirty money? That dirty old money's dirty money. 00:26:58:20 - 00:27:10:19 Unknown The Broaddus family's home was situated on the Boulevard, a prominent and sought after street characterized by its wide, tree lined avenues and some of Elm Street. 00:27:10:22 - 00:27:29:15 Unknown A Nightmare on Elm Street, I think that's it. Yeah. Ooh, is that the street he's referring? Maybe. Oh, boy. Maybe. And some of the most desirable properties in town, as noted by the watcher, the boulevard used to be the street to live on. 00:27:29:15 - 00:27:37:12 Unknown You made it if you lived on the boulevard. Reflecting the prestige association with residents on this particular street 00:27:37:12 - 00:27:37:24 Unknown brings. 00:27:38:00 - 00:27:40:12 Unknown Makes me think of that, 00:27:40:12 - 00:27:55:25 Unknown move. And I wanna move and, to do these signs. Yes. And then, Shoot. I finally got a piece of the pie. sorry, guys. 00:27:55:25 - 00:28:04:19 Unknown constructed in 1905, 657 Boulevard stood out as one of the most impressive homes on the block. 00:28:04:19 - 00:28:11:05 Unknown When the woods decided to sell it, they received multiple offers exceeding their asking price. 00:28:11:07 - 00:28:18:17 Unknown Initially, the producers speculated that the watcher might be someone disgruntled about missing out on the house. 00:28:18:21 - 00:28:29:25 Unknown However, the woods just clarified that one interested buyer withdrew due to a medical diagnosis, while another one had already found a different home. 00:28:29:25 - 00:28:36:01 Unknown In an email exchange with the producers, Andrea Woods floated another possibility 00:28:36:01 - 00:28:44:16 Unknown with the mention of the contractor trucks and your children suggest that it was someone in the neighborhood. 00:28:44:18 - 00:28:50:03 Unknown This raised the unsettling prospect that the watcher could be someone within the community. 00:28:50:03 - 00:28:54:23 Unknown The letters indeed hinted at proximity. They were processed in 00:28:54:23 - 00:29:11:02 Unknown Kearney, which is a postal service district distribution center in northern new Jersey, not too far away. The first letter bore a postmark of June 4th, predating the public announcement of the sale, 00:29:11:02 - 00:29:20:06 Unknown the woods had refrained from putting up a for sale sign and arriving only a day after the contractors began their work. 00:29:20:08 - 00:29:29:17 Unknown Despite renovations primarily focusing on the interior, neighbors reported no significant disturbance, even during activities 00:29:29:17 - 00:29:37:28 Unknown like the basement jackhammering. So let's go back and revisit that. There was no public announcement or anything, 00:29:37:28 - 00:29:51:05 Unknown but somehow this watcher wrote this letter the day before they even closed on the house. Crazy isn't that might have cameras in there or something. 00:29:51:09 - 00:29:52:18 Unknown Maybe 00:29:52:18 - 00:30:14:13 Unknown during a walk through? Well, maybe it's one of the contractors. Maybe get a word up and he's spying on, what makes me think is maybe it is something to do with a real estate agent, because they would be the only ones or a title agency or something like that. They would be. That would be the motivation. 00:30:14:18 - 00:30:32:07 Unknown maybe hoping that they could sell the sold the house again and then have somebody weigh it again. well, I'm thinking if they, if they freaked them out enough, like they're trying to do, they could drop the price, maybe to a price frame or a price range that they could afford. 00:30:32:07 - 00:30:38:13 Unknown Maybe just to the them that would only benefit, the crazy person that's trying to get the house. 00:30:38:13 - 00:30:46:07 Unknown Exactly. And not the current people that are buying the house. No, no. But if the people wanted the house 00:30:46:07 - 00:31:07:27 Unknown and they wanted it at a cheaper than if it's nowadays, I mean, you know, everybody wants to buy a haunted house, so, well, maybe not a creepy guy. That list just street spine and writes. There's a difference. kind of saying to me, you can exercise the demons, but, well, you could throw a bag of poop on it. 00:31:07:29 - 00:31:45:19 Unknown I mean, kind of the same thing, right? I mean, you could put an EMF detector in the poop bag if you wanted to, see if there's any bells and, maybe some some kind of something that some some. Yeah. He's absolutely crazy. During a walk through with Detective Lugo. Derek, go. What's that? Lugo. Lugo. Derek and Maria highlighted that the easel on the porch was shielded from the street view by surrounding trees, making it challenging to spot unless someone was positioned behind their house 00:31:45:19 - 00:31:48:16 Unknown or in close proximity next door. 00:31:48:18 - 00:32:10:23 Unknown The felony of the guys got it wired. He's got cameras everywhere, hidden cameras, maybe in the vents. Yeah. Could be on the trees or. Yeah. No gutters? No. Then this detail further suggested that the sender of the letters might have and have intimate knowledge of the property's layout and surroundings. 00:32:10:23 - 00:32:21:26 Unknown A few days after receiving the first letter, Maria and Derek attended a barbecue across the street, which was organized to welcome them and another new homeowner to the block. 00:32:21:28 - 00:32:23:11 Unknown Despite the unsettling 00:32:23:11 - 00:32:25:26 Unknown presence of the watcher in their lives. 00:32:25:26 - 00:32:26:03 Unknown the 00:32:26:03 - 00:32:41:14 Unknown protesters had refrained from sharing this information with anyone as per the police's instructions. As they mingled at the party, they found themselves discreetly scanning the crowd for any potential clues, while also keeping an 00:32:41:14 - 00:32:45:29 Unknown and watchful eye on their children, who innocently darted through the gathering. 00:32:46:06 - 00:32:57:28 Unknown Oblivious to the underlying tension, Maria remarked we kept screaming at them to stay close. People must have thought we were crazy. Yeah, probably. 00:32:57:28 - 00:33:06:29 Unknown During a conversation with John Schmidt, a neighbor who lived two doors down, Derek learned about the Langford family who resided 00:33:06:29 - 00:33:12:24 Unknown between their homes. Peggy Langford, the matriarch, was in her 90s, and 00:33:12:27 - 00:33:21:05 Unknown several of her adult children, all in their 60s, lived with her. What? Yeah, kid. 00:33:21:05 - 00:33:23:10 Unknown oh. 00:33:23:13 - 00:33:49:11 Unknown Schmidt described them as a bit peculiar, but ultimately harmless. yeah. 36 year old children living in our home. I mean, jeez, 14 cats, eight dogs and two bunnies. Oh, don't forget the bunnies. Oh, no, I don't forget the bunnies. One of the younger dinner, though. 00:33:49:11 - 00:33:55:24 Unknown One of the younger Langford's. Michael stood out with his beard, reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway, 00:33:55:24 - 00:34:14:24 Unknown and was characterized by Schmidt as kind of a Boo Radley character. Boo Radley is a fictional character in Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a mockingbird. His real name is Arthur Radley, and he's a mysterious, reclusive neighbor of the Finch family 00:34:14:24 - 00:34:17:20 Unknown who lives three doors down the street from them. 00:34:17:22 - 00:34:46:14 Unknown Boo is the subject of many children's scary legends. Boo hoo hoo. I had to include that because when they reference Boo Radley, I didn't know who he was. I still don't know who he is. just a mysterious, creepy guy. I've heard the name and I've heard the, the book. The book. I think I was supposed to read it in high school, but obviously I didn't, I played sports, you know, it's my defense. 00:34:46:17 - 00:35:19:13 Unknown They didn't have the cliff note versions like they do nowadays, either. Yeah, I know if we grew up in this age, we could have just popped in the movie, right? He's done deal, man. Well, Derek was struck by the proximity of the Lankford House to the easel on their porch. The Langford's had been residents since the 1960s, coinciding with the time frame mentioned in the Watcher's letters, which claimed that the sender's father had begun observing 657 Boulevard. 00:35:19:15 - 00:35:26:20 Unknown Richard Langford, the patriarch, had passed away 12 years earlier, and the current watcher claimed to have 00:35:26:20 - 00:35:26:25 Unknown been 00:35:26:25 - 00:35:38:11 Unknown monitoring the property for the better part of two decades. This seemingly aligned with Derek's suspicions, leading him to believe that the case might be solved 00:35:38:11 - 00:35:53:11 Unknown When the producers informed Detective Lugo about the Langford family, he revealed that he was already aware of them about a week after receiving the first letter, Lugo brought Michael Langford to the police headquarters for questioning. 00:35:53:13 - 00:36:03:28 Unknown However, Michael denied any knowledge or involvement of the involvement in the letters. Despite this, the Broaddus claimed that Lugo indicated 00:36:03:28 - 00:36:17:21 Unknown that certain details mentioned by Michael Match, those reference to the letters. Lugo cautioned them, stating this isn't CSI Westfield. When the wife is dead, it's the husband, 00:36:17:21 - 00:36:19:28 Unknown Which I thought that was kind of, 00:36:19:28 - 00:36:24:19 Unknown you know, basically they're saying that if the wife is dead, that the husband did it. 00:36:24:22 - 00:36:39:09 Unknown Guilty as a black and white type thing. So. Right. Despite the suspicions there was a lack of concrete evidence. After a few weeks, the police chief informed the protesters that without a confession, then 00:36:39:09 - 00:36:59:15 Unknown there was little the department could do. Figures. Go figure. Yeah. Derek expressed frustration, feeling that the safety of his family was being jeopardized. He stated, this is someone who's threatened my kids and the police are saying probably nothing's going to happen, probably isn't good enough for me. 00:36:59:18 - 00:37:27:20 Unknown Yeah. Probably not. Following the arrival of the second letter, Derek warned the police that if they failed to resolve the situation that they would face a different kind of problem. This person attacked my friend and burned down Dunkin Donuts. Oh my God, it's going to get serious now. Oh, cops are actually going to give their blood. so Derek said, this person is attacking my family. 00:37:27:25 - 00:37:28:20 Unknown And where I'm 00:37:28:20 - 00:37:33:07 Unknown from, if you do that. Yeah. Get your ass beat. Too. 00:37:33:07 - 00:37:53:28 Unknown Frustrated by the lack of progress from the authorities, the protesters took matters into their own hands and launched their own investigation. Asian Derek, in particular, became consumed by the case. He installed cameras throughout six, five, seven Boulevard and spent sleepless nights monitoring them, seeing how they got cameras, spying and cameras. 00:37:53:28 - 00:38:01:15 Unknown Oh my God, it's getting pretty up in there. It certainly is. So hoping to catch any 00:38:01:15 - 00:38:12:20 Unknown suspicious activity around the house. Delving deeper and deeper, he meticulously researched the history of the residents in the neighborhood, discovering that the Langford's 00:38:12:20 - 00:38:16:09 Unknown they were, the only family that had been there since the 60s. 00:38:16:09 - 00:38:30:27 Unknown Derek's investigation then became increasingly detailed as he mapped out possible sightlines for the cell, and estimated a range of earshot from which someone could have heard Maria calling out their children's names. 00:38:30:27 - 00:38:57:02 Unknown through this analysis, he narrowed down the list of suspects to only a few homes that met both criteria, intensifying his determination to uncover the identity of the watcher. Get him, get him, get him, get him! The Broaddus has enlisted the help of several experts in their quest to uncover the Watcher's identity. They hired a private investigator who conducted surveillance in the 00:38:57:02 - 00:39:01:20 Unknown neighborhood, and conducted background checks on the Langford's. 00:39:01:23 - 00:39:05:00 Unknown Although no significant findings were developed, 00:39:05:00 - 00:39:08:10 Unknown Derek also reached out to a former FBI agent 00:39:08:10 - 00:39:16:20 Unknown who had served as the inspiration for Clarice Starling in The Silence of the lambs. Oh yeah. 00:39:16:20 - 00:39:17:12 Unknown So, 00:39:17:12 - 00:39:27:02 Unknown he knew him because he had served on a high school board of trustees with him. Additionally, there is, hello, clarity. 00:39:27:03 - 00:39:43:00 Unknown Hello, Carol, which, according to the Matrix, wasn't said. I don't care what they say. It's bullshit. It's not the matrix. It's, mandalas. Oh, yes. Yes, yes. Sorry. The Mandela, Freudian slip. 00:39:43:00 - 00:40:00:08 Unknown Yeah. You got that? I loved that show. And they stole the one of my words. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it. I said ass munch before they ever sat ass munch. 00:40:00:08 - 00:40:12:24 Unknown So I need royalties. I came up with that word. I'm sorry. No, I did, oh, I did, I did. Hey, knock it off. Now, read your story. Get back to the story. Yeah. 00:40:12:24 - 00:40:24:26 Unknown So additionally, they also employed Robert Lee Han, another former FBI agent, to perform a threat assessment. Okay. so they're getting serious now, 00:40:24:26 - 00:40:45:18 Unknown listen, I identified several characteristics in the letter that suggested an older writer, including old fashioned language conventions such as double spacing between sentences and including the days, whether in the greeting, the letter displayed a certain literary flair, 00:40:45:18 - 00:40:51:02 Unknown indicating a voracious reader, and surprisingly lacked profanity. 00:40:51:02 - 00:41:16:09 Unknown Despite the evident anger which Leon interpreted as a sign of less macho, of them being a less macho writer. He even speculated whether the watcher had drawn inspiration from the movie The Watcher, starring Keanu Reeves, where a serial killer stocks a detective pursuing him. 00:41:16:09 - 00:41:17:01 Unknown 00:41:17:01 - 00:41:26:20 Unknown So, sure, nothing about being left or right handed or anything like that, but he can tell what you ate for lunch though. 00:41:26:22 - 00:41:43:27 Unknown Yes, yes. I could tell if you was a left or right handed dominant type or, but while Leon didn't believe the watcher was likely to carry out on any threats, he noted enough typos and errors in the letter 00:41:43:27 - 00:41:55:05 Unknown to suggest erratic behavior. For instance, the first letter was dated as Tuesday, June 4th, even though June 4th that year fell on a Wednesday. 00:41:55:05 - 00:42:01:04 Unknown Moreover, there was a palpable resentment directed towards the wealthy 00:42:01:04 - 00:42:07:01 Unknown with the watcher expressing displeasure at the influx of new money in the town 00:42:07:01 - 00:42:08:28 Unknown and criticizing the bodices, 00:42:08:28 - 00:42:10:04 Unknown relatively modest 00:42:10:04 - 00:42:11:27 Unknown renovations. 00:42:11:27 - 00:42:15:07 Unknown In another letter, the watcher wrote 00:42:15:07 - 00:42:20:04 Unknown the house caught fire against its own 00:42:20:04 - 00:42:24:10 Unknown little changed and maybe some flames 00:42:24:10 - 00:42:31:12 Unknown You were spewing incest on its walls for the past. what used to be 00:42:31:12 - 00:42:40:12 Unknown a little more open. Retailers. Bait and switch. Just want the term fantasy sports. You being at home 00:42:40:12 - 00:42:50:15 Unknown bedroom from 1 to 1. Burton in one with the group's occupants. You. The house was figure of for foot long. 00:42:50:15 - 00:42:51:14 Unknown Well, 00:42:51:14 - 00:42:55:08 Unknown the middle a sort of folder 00:42:55:08 - 00:43:08:24 Unknown for the job. More time until the deed on the door walks. Wait for the buyer with the long walk at the mall. But you. 00:43:08:27 - 00:43:41:05 Unknown There we go. With the young blood again. Yeah. I mean, come on. He is a kooky bastard. That's all I got to say about him. Yes. I mean, Sally hand suggested investigating former housekeepers or their descendants, theorizing that the watcher might harbored jealousy towards the Broaddus for purchasing the home they themselves couldn't afford. Despite the suggestion, the bodices remained focused on the Langford family. 00:43:41:07 - 00:43:58:29 Unknown In collaboration with the Westfield police, they sent a letter to the Langford's announcing the fictitious plans to demolish their house in the hopes of provoking a reaction. However, this tactic yielded no results. Nothing, nothin. Whoa! 00:43:58:29 - 00:43:59:12 Unknown Detective 00:43:59:17 - 00:44:09:23 Unknown Lugo attempted a second interview with Michael Langford, but made very little progress, and his sister Abby accused the police of harassing their family. 00:44:09:26 - 00:44:21:01 Unknown Feeling stonewalled, the producers sought legal assistance from Leigh Leavitt, who arranged a meeting with several members of the Langford family and their attorney. I believe it was a, 00:44:21:01 - 00:44:35:03 Unknown lawyer. yeah. I didn't even know that he was a country singer. that crazy hair man. Yeah, it distracts the judge, distracts the jury. But is it all business in the front? 00:44:35:05 - 00:44:44:24 Unknown business in the front or a party in the back? oh. Wait, he had a reverse mullet. Yeah, his was, like, on top of his head. 00:44:44:24 - 00:44:52:05 Unknown During the meeting, Leavitt presented the letters and photographs illustrating how the Langford's home provided one of 00:44:52:05 - 00:44:57:10 Unknown the few vantage points from which the easel on the broadcaster's porch could be observed. 00:44:57:10 - 00:45:03:08 Unknown despite tensions running high, the Langford's avidly maintained Michael's innocence 00:45:03:08 - 00:45:17:01 Unknown In the midst of this turmoil, Derek experienced a vivid dream in which he confronted Peggy, the eldest Langford, demanding that she erect an eight foot fence between their properties is 00:45:17:01 - 00:45:24:04 Unknown symbolic representation of his desperation to distance his family from the watchers malevolence. 00:45:24:04 - 00:45:36:23 Unknown Maria found herself plagued by unsettling dreams, one of which featured nearby residents wearing boots and carrying pitchforks, calling out to her children while she struggled to reach them. 00:45:36:23 - 00:45:39:00 Unknown In time, this heightened her 00:45:39:00 - 00:45:42:25 Unknown paranoia, causing her to view almost anyone 00:45:42:25 - 00:46:04:24 Unknown as a potential suspect. I could see that, yes, totally. I mean, you get every I mean, you're thinking that everyone's watching you, everybody. It could be the person any suspicious, like car driving by. I mean, the weird thing I don't understand is, okay, they've been through this for a while now. 00:46:04:24 - 00:46:09:24 Unknown why haven't you packed your stuff? And, they haven't moved into the house? 00:46:09:24 - 00:46:16:09 Unknown yeah. Don't. Yeah. No, they, were doing the renovations and stuff, but at this point, 00:46:16:09 - 00:46:25:13 Unknown They're living with Maria's family in Westford, but they haven't moved into the house themselves. Okay. 00:46:25:13 - 00:46:39:25 Unknown she scrutinized the faces of shoppers at Trader Joe's for any signs of suspicion towards her children, and spent hours scouring the internet for information on anyone who seemed dubious. 00:46:39:27 - 00:47:12:16 Unknown I love how they keep referencing Trader Joe's. place rocks. I mean, not target, not Walmart. Hell, you know Cub trader Joe's goes to Trader Joe's. Everybody knows that, despite the focus on the Langford's, there were compelling reasons to consider other suspects. Notably, the police had already interviewed Michael before the second letter was sent, making it risky for him to send subsequent letters. 00:47:12:18 - 00:47:23:28 Unknown And additionally, the neighborhood itself harbored potential suspects. Was a private investigator uncovering two sex offenders within close proximity. 00:47:23:28 - 00:47:39:17 Unknown Bill Woodward, the Broaddus House painter, also observed peculiar behavior from neighbors behind 657 Boulevard, noting that an older man was sitting in a lawn chair facing the Broaddus property instead of his own. 00:47:39:17 - 00:47:43:26 Unknown I can just see someone sitting there in their lawn chair with binoculars. 00:47:43:29 - 00:47:48:26 Unknown Oh yeah, I'm sure the whole town does it right. That's everybody. 00:47:48:26 - 00:47:59:11 Unknown They are very nosy. however, I would assume that it's probably somebody that did work for the previous family or, 00:47:59:11 - 00:48:02:05 Unknown some kind of contractor like 00:48:02:05 - 00:48:12:27 Unknown the people that are renovating the house. There's something going on there. There's definitely something going on there. I mean, anybody that would live nearby, I don't think you could even 00:48:12:27 - 00:48:19:07 Unknown probably look at them because they're resentful that they don't have a fancy house in their neighborhood. 00:48:19:07 - 00:48:26:29 Unknown Right? Right, right. So I know I was listening to a podcast the other night on the story and, 00:48:26:29 - 00:48:47:11 Unknown they talked about how this house originally, when it was first sold, way back in the day, it was sold for a dollar. and then a few years later, again, it was sold for a dollar. And the person who bought the house was actually the mayor 00:48:47:11 - 00:48:48:18 Unknown of the town. 00:48:48:20 - 00:48:54:13 Unknown Okay. And then when he passed away, he willed it to his son. 00:48:54:13 - 00:48:59:15 Unknown And then there's been many other owners since then, but 00:48:59:15 - 00:49:05:08 Unknown There's speculation was that it could have been somebody who was friends 00:49:05:08 - 00:49:06:04 Unknown with 00:49:06:04 - 00:49:27:14 Unknown the watcher currently, could have been friends with the mayor's son, and he might have gone there to play, because that does reference that, you know, he used to roam the halls, or he could have been like a housekeeper's child or something and just very envious, and that he felt that that house was his right or it was that would be the road. 00:49:27:14 - 00:49:29:12 Unknown I be thinking, right. 00:49:29:12 - 00:49:47:11 Unknown And but they did try to go through. There was, a gentleman that they interviewed that did dive into this case very, very deep. And he tried to find links in the community, links to somebody, like even looking at who 00:49:47:11 - 00:49:59:00 Unknown Maria and Derek went to high school with, just as are more so Maria, because she was from Westfield, just to see if there was something there and they just could not find any connections. 00:49:59:02 - 00:50:07:02 Unknown The only connections was the Lankford family had been there since the 60s. Yeah. So you would think it would be something with 00:50:07:02 - 00:50:12:06 Unknown that family that somebody that worked for that family definitely. 00:50:12:06 - 00:50:27:03 Unknown So however, by the end of 2014, the investigation had hit a dead end. Dead end. Oh, the watcher left no digital traces, no fingerprints or concrete evidence to link anyone to the threatening letters. 00:50:27:05 - 00:50:50:05 Unknown I mean, how what kind of letters are these? Are they handwritten or are they the type? Oh, they're type. They type. Well, not typewriter typed because this is 2014. And the reason they know it's not typewriter typed is because they actually typed out the watcher as the signature, and they do it in a cursive font. And there's not a typewriter that can switch fonts. 00:50:50:07 - 00:51:07:15 Unknown So it is a printed out letter. But I did hear on another podcast that I listened to that back in 2014. Any printer that you print out on, from, you know, then or now has a digital print 00:51:07:15 - 00:51:17:09 Unknown so you can tell what type of printer it was printed from. So why didn't they ever go that route and investigate it that way, to see if they could narrow that down? 00:51:17:09 - 00:51:19:09 Unknown possible. I'm not sure either. 00:51:19:09 - 00:51:37:09 Unknown They were talking about. It's something that they've used to solve some certain cases that there is something that when you print out, it leaves like something on the page that they can read and they can tell what type of printer and everything that it was printed from. 00:51:37:11 - 00:51:50:25 Unknown Dang it. Now I got to Google a bunch of stuff when we get done with this. I didn't know that either, so I thought that was very interesting. It's wackadoo what can do? Totally Wackadoo. 00:51:50:25 - 00:51:55:14 Unknown The letters themselves were cryptic, offering little in the way of 00:51:55:14 - 00:52:12:01 Unknown tangible leads. Scott Kraus, involved in the investigation for the Union County Prosecutor's Office, compared the search to finding a needle in a haystack. In December, the Westfield police informed the protesters that they had exhausted all options 00:52:12:01 - 00:52:24:05 Unknown In a gesture of desperation, Derek sought solace from his priest, who agreed to bless the house and attempt to ward off the Watcher's malevolent presence. 00:52:24:08 - 00:53:01:26 Unknown I guess when you're desperate, but for whatever, let's bless the house from the evil neighbors so they can't get in. Are they vampires? But yeah, they can't cross the threshold unless they're invited. Or I thought that was. I mean, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Whatever makes you feel better, whatever helps you sleep at night. I heard of these people living in, the renovations at 657 Boulevard, including the installation of a new alarm system, were completed within a few months. 00:53:01:29 - 00:53:06:01 Unknown However, the prospect of moving in filled the promises with overwhelming 00:53:06:01 - 00:53:07:15 Unknown anxiety. 00:53:07:15 - 00:53:12:00 Unknown They grappled with troubling questions. Would it be safe for their children to play outside, or 00:53:12:00 - 00:53:16:16 Unknown even have friends over? Could they expect to receive new threatening 00:53:16:16 - 00:53:18:14 Unknown letters? Every week? 00:53:18:14 - 00:53:32:12 Unknown Derek explored options such as acquiring a trained German Shepherd, or even posting a job listing on a website for military veterans seeking someone to patrol the back yard daily. 00:53:32:14 - 00:53:53:28 Unknown However, the protesters were reluctant to turn their home into a fortified fortress. As Maria explained, at the end of the day, it came down to what are you willing to risk? We weren't going to put our kids in harm's way, right? That's where you move, right? Or you ship them off somewhere and then you track down this person. 00:53:54:00 - 00:54:20:12 Unknown Just something. I mean, there has to be something. If the guy knows personal information, there's either cameras in the house or cameras outside of the house pointing in and, you know, certain. Right. Is there a right there somewhere? Well, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. I mean, like micro cameras. I mean, there's got to be some kind of trace that this guy is figuring out all this information, right? 00:54:20:12 - 00:54:23:07 Unknown The cops aren't doing enough. They don't care. 00:54:23:07 - 00:54:38:27 Unknown know, it's like, yeah, we got better things to do. They got Dunkin Donuts. Yeah. The roof didn't collapse on that. That was Trader Joe's. I'm sure there's probably ways of, you know, checking for fingerprints and stuff because, 00:54:38:27 - 00:54:45:28 Unknown you know, on these letters, I'm sure the guy probably didn't think about, putting gloves on every time he wrote one of these letters. 00:54:45:28 - 00:54:53:10 Unknown Well, there is I'm. I can't remember if I got to it in the story or not, but they did find there was no fingerprints. 00:54:53:10 - 00:55:16:11 Unknown but they did find DNA, female DNA on the letter. so. But it doesn't say that if it was on the licked part of the letter. I mean, it could be the postal carrier may have been a female, and she might have sneezed, you know, so got some boogies. 00:55:16:11 - 00:55:29:20 Unknown All right. But they did test the DNA to the Lankford. Abby Lankford to the neighbor. And it was not a match, right? I mean, we shouldn't even think that it's them at this point, right? 00:55:29:20 - 00:55:41:16 Unknown So Derek found himself responding to occasional alarms at the house, sometimes in the middle of the night, always carrying a knife, just in case I became more than a knife. 00:55:41:18 - 00:55:44:09 Unknown And now, you know, I understand. Yes. 00:55:44:09 - 00:56:00:23 Unknown The Brodsky's initial excitement about their new home had swiftly given way to fear and distress. Even Bill Woodward, the painter, witnessed Mariah's emotional turmoil firsthand, with her breaking down in tears and trembling in his arms. 00:56:00:23 - 00:56:22:22 Unknown Kind of odd that you're breaking down into your painter's arms. What's Bill got going on? Right? The situation was intensified by the Watcher's escalating erratic behavior, adding to the family's sense of helplessness and unease. In one of the letters from The Watcher, he wrote. 00:56:22:29 - 00:56:43:28 Unknown Six foot seven. Beyond this coming out of company, I don't know. Mr. Moore would still be stalking Mr. B more for. No, it was for the enemy. Oh, you mean want to say you do 00:56:43:28 - 00:56:53:12 Unknown This broken toilet paper? football. Fitchburg friends. What's wrong to beat on them 00:56:53:12 - 00:56:54:18 Unknown You will perish. 00:56:54:18 - 00:57:05:15 Unknown When are we going to do or won't? Be patient? And we thought Mr. Burns, for you, but we don't want to be 00:57:05:15 - 00:57:12:23 Unknown suspect. And silver Baton snowball, we need to come up 00:57:12:23 - 00:57:18:19 Unknown What would your board plan to do? What you did once before 00:57:18:19 - 00:57:23:02 Unknown the your words, sort of thing at the 00:57:23:02 - 00:57:24:27 Unknown slot, you. 00:57:25:04 - 00:57:26:25 Unknown Were the only 00:57:26:25 - 00:57:55:22 Unknown creepier. I mean, wow, this dude. Whoa. Big time. The brightest has found themselves in a difficult situation after selling their previous home and moving in with Maria's parents while still shouldering the mortgage and property taxes for 657 Boulevard, Derek described the indignity of shoveling the driveway in the early morning hours before returning to his in-laws home. 00:57:55:24 - 00:58:11:25 Unknown They chose to disclose the letters to only a few close friends, leaving others to speculate about their reasons for not moving and leading to rumors of legal issues or even marital problems. The stress took a toll on their mental health, 00:58:11:25 - 00:58:18:06 Unknown with constant arguments and the need for medication to sleep, Maria's therapist diagnosed her with 00:58:18:06 - 00:58:25:13 Unknown post-traumatic stress, advising that their ordeal wouldn't end until they read themselves of the house. 00:58:25:13 - 00:58:30:20 Unknown Yeah, so six months after receiving the letters, the broadcast made the 00:58:30:20 - 00:58:51:22 Unknown difficult decision to sell six, five, seven Boulevard should have done that right away. Initially, they listed it for more than they had paid to account for the renovation plans they had undertaken. However, suburban new Jersey real estate community proved to be exceptionally gossipy, and the rumors about the house 00:58:51:22 - 00:58:55:12 Unknown being empty and the reasons behind it began to circulate. 00:58:55:15 - 00:58:58:02 Unknown Interested buyers expressed concern about 00:58:58:02 - 00:59:03:01 Unknown The unconfirmed rumors ranging from sexual predators to stalkers. 00:59:03:01 - 00:59:24:19 Unknown the practices, provided partial disclosure of the letters to potential buyers, and intended to share the full content with anyone whose offer was accepted. Despite receiving preliminary bids below the asking price, they were unwilling to accept such a financial loss and only planned to reveal the letters to serious buyers. 00:59:24:22 - 00:59:30:19 Unknown However, no offers progressed to that stage even after they lowered the price. 00:59:30:19 - 00:59:55:09 Unknown Despite pressure from their real estate agent to withhold information about the letters, the producers remained steadfast in their decision to disclose. Derek expressed disbelief in the idea of subjecting someone else to the same ordeal they had endured. Reflecting on their own experience, they considered how they would have reacted if the previous owners had disclosed a letter from the watcher. 00:59:55:12 - 01:00:07:15 Unknown The woods, as the previous owners, recalled the letter that they received as strange rather than threatening, expressing that they never felt, watch or experienced any issues during their time at the house. 01:00:07:15 - 01:00:12:07 Unknown Feeling that the name alone carried enough ominous weight, the producers 01:00:12:07 - 01:00:29:01 Unknown Felt it necessary to disclose the Watcher's existence to any family moving into 657 Boulevard. Consequently, on June 2nd, 2015, a year after purchasing the property, they filed a legal complaint against the Woods's. 01:00:29:01 - 01:00:40:16 Unknown They argued that just as the Woods's had disclosed issues like the water seepage in the basement, they should have also disclosed the letter from the watcher. Initially, the Broaddus hoped to reach 01:00:40:16 - 01:00:51:14 Unknown a quiet settlement, keeping their children unaware of the Watcher's existence. Their lawyer reassured them that the story might at most attract minimal attention 01:00:51:14 - 01:00:53:18 Unknown from a small legal newswire. 01:00:53:21 - 01:00:59:07 Unknown However, the situation quickly escalated when a local reporter discovered the complaint, 01:00:59:07 - 01:01:15:29 Unknown Which contained excerpts of the Watcher's menacing threats. Despite the broader effort to seal the document, the story went viral, attracting news trucks and media attention to 657 Boulevard. Facing over 300 media requests, 01:01:15:29 - 01:01:23:18 Unknown the brightest, advised by a crisis management consultant, opted to not speak publicly to shield their children 01:01:23:18 - 01:01:25:29 Unknown further scrutiny. 01:01:26:01 - 01:01:39:29 Unknown They left Westfield and sought refuge at a friend's beach house. But the respite was marred by family emergencies, including Maria's grandfather's heart attack and their friends grand mal seizure. 01:01:39:29 - 01:01:43:24 Unknown Eventually, Derek and Maria sat down with their children to explain 01:01:43:24 - 01:01:55:18 Unknown the real reason behind their reluctance to move into their home. The children had many questions about the watcher, who they were, where they lived, and why they were fixated on their family. 01:01:55:20 - 01:01:58:00 Unknown But Derek and Maria struggled to provide 01:01:58:00 - 01:02:16:13 Unknown satisfactory answers. Derek reflected on the difficulty of having to have such a conversation with a five year old, revealing the unsettling reality to them. Their town wasn't as safe as they believed, and there was a mysterious figure obsessed with their family. 01:02:16:13 - 01:02:25:00 Unknown The conundrum of The Watcher spurred a flurry of speculation and theories among both online communities and local residents. 01:02:25:03 - 01:02:32:15 Unknown Suggestions ranged from using ground penetrating radar to uncover any hidden objects in the walls, 01:02:32:15 - 01:02:38:10 Unknown examine in Google Maps Street View for potential clues. Some of the proposed suspects 01:02:38:10 - 01:02:43:04 Unknown including a scorned lover, a disgruntled real estate agent, 01:02:43:04 - 01:02:46:13 Unknown Or even a high schoolers writing project gone awry. 01:02:46:16 - 01:03:11:26 Unknown However, others dismissed the Brutus's concern, labeling them as wimps for not believing in wimpy, so they called them wimps for not moving in despite the threats. What would you do? Because I know you said that, you know, if you were proposed on an old, beautiful Victorian house that was extremely haunted, that you would buy it. Yeah. Would you did would you buy it? 01:03:11:26 - 01:03:19:28 Unknown If there is a real live creeper with kids? No. Without kids? Yes. Yeah. 01:03:19:28 - 01:03:21:27 Unknown Armed with the nine on your side. 01:03:21:27 - 01:03:36:22 Unknown or the poop bag? Hahahahaha. And does some damage. I'm telling you. I'm sure, I'm sure you're smashing that down. World's on fire. All you gotta do is figure out who it is. 01:03:36:22 - 01:03:39:21 Unknown That's the problem. Trying to figure out who it is. 01:03:39:23 - 01:04:04:15 Unknown I don't really think that would be a problem. You wouldn't think so. But things in Westfield, the atmosphere was tense, with residents feeling unsettled by the looming presence of the watcher. Lori Clancy, who teaches piano lessons near 657 Boulevard, recounted how one of her students became distraught after learning about the watcher, fearing to walk down the boulevard 01:04:04:15 - 01:04:09:24 Unknown At a town council meeting, Mayor Andy Schabowski 01:04:09:24 - 01:04:35:00 Unknown should be a bit scared. I think that's stupid. That is a mouthful. Yeah, and is a bit. Ski reassured the public that the watcher had remained silent for a year and that although the case remained unsolved, the police had conducted an exact live investigation. I'm sure they did. that's funny 01:04:35:02 - 01:04:51:12 Unknown and now there's so much comedy in this story. however, this statement puzzled the neighbors of 657 Boulevard, many of whom had not been contacted by the police during this investigation. Really? Right. Shocker. In the response 01:04:51:12 - 01:05:06:03 Unknown several neighbors wrote letters to the local paper expressing their confusion and frustration. Baron Chambliss, a veteran detective, was brought in to reexamine the case under national scrutiny. 01:05:06:05 - 01:05:13:12 Unknown Reflecting on the initial investigation, Chambliss acknowledged that the protesters had not received the 01:05:13:12 - 01:05:16:14 Unknown support that they needed. Really, 01:05:16:14 - 01:05:22:17 Unknown fire. Somebody realizes that something wacky is going on, right? 01:05:22:17 - 01:05:25:06 Unknown One individual who came under scrutiny was Michael 01:05:25:06 - 01:05:30:03 Unknown Langford, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his youth. 01:05:30:06 - 01:05:43:25 Unknown While his behavior sometimes unnerved newcomers to the neighborhood, such as wandering through yards or peering and windows, creeper. those who knew him described these actions as a centric 01:05:43:25 - 01:05:59:27 Unknown but harmless gestures of neighborly kindness and. If someone's peered in my damn windows, that's not neighborly kindness. that's where I can do stuff that's like prison. Real killer shit. 01:05:59:29 - 01:06:08:01 Unknown Yeah. Peeping toms. Not good. Yeah, yeah. But channel. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. 01:06:08:01 - 01:06:10:06 Unknown Despite suspicions, longtime 01:06:10:06 - 01:06:16:29 Unknown acquaintances of Michael expressed doubt about his capacity to write these threatening letters. 01:06:16:29 - 01:06:30:07 Unknown As Chambliss delve deeper into the case, he made a surprising discovery. DNA analysis on one of these envelopes revealed that the DNA belonged to a woman, which we kind of covered a little bit. 01:06:30:09 - 01:06:57:04 Unknown this led him to focus his attention on Abby Langford, Michael's sister, who worked also as a real estate agent. Oh, boy. Chambliss considered whether she might have been motivated by a missed commission next door or other grievances. He even coordinated with a security guard at the local Lord and Taylor, where Abby worked to obtain her plastic water bottle for DNA comparison. 01:06:57:06 - 01:07:14:06 Unknown So now he's he's getting the job done here. I mean, at least he's doing more than the other people did. Yeah, he got off his chair. Yes. However, the sample did not match the DNA found on the envelope. Subsequently, the prosecutor's 01:07:14:06 - 01:07:25:13 Unknown office informed Derrick and Maria that the Langford's had been ruled out as suspects, though they did not disclose the reasons behind this decision. 01:07:25:15 - 01:07:36:23 Unknown The protesters were taken aback by this revelation. They had been planning to file civil charges against the Langford's, and wondered if the prosecutors were concealing information to prevent 01:07:36:23 - 01:07:38:19 Unknown further turmoil, 01:07:38:19 - 01:07:48:19 Unknown Sandy Langford, Michael's brother, expressed frustration, asserting that their family had lived on the boulevard for decades without causing any trouble. 01:07:48:19 - 01:07:58:03 Unknown With no viable suspect, the protesters resumed their own investigation while they remained guarded about sharing details with the neighbors. 01:07:58:03 - 01:08:01:14 Unknown They walked around the block with a picture of the Watcher's handwriting, 01:08:01:14 - 01:08:04:26 Unknown hoping for recognition. Despite their efforts, 01:08:04:26 - 01:08:12:23 Unknown the only significant lead, came when an older neighbor joked that the Watcher's writing sounded similar to his own. 01:08:12:23 - 01:08:21:11 Unknown they also enlisted the help of Kroll, a security firm led by a neighbor, to search for handwriting matches, but to no avail. 01:08:21:11 - 01:08:22:15 Unknown Accordingly, they hired 01:08:22:15 - 01:08:23:11 Unknown forensic 01:08:23:11 - 01:08:29:18 Unknown linguist, Robert Leonard, who combed through local online forums for 01:08:29:18 - 01:08:41:25 Unknown linguistic similarities but found nothing substantial aside from speculating that the author might watch the Game of Thrones. Yeah, I've never watched that. 01:08:41:25 - 01:08:42:23 Unknown I haven't even 01:08:42:23 - 01:09:12:19 Unknown in more extreme measures, Derek considered enlisting a hacker to breach Wi-Fi networks in the neighborhood for incriminating evidence. However, they ultimately decided against it due to legal and practical challenges involved. Probably a good decision. Yeah, probably. I mean, you're going to land yourself in prison trying to solve this. Oh, yeah. Chambliss and the Westfield Police Department found themselves at a standstill once again. 01:09:12:21 - 01:09:26:23 Unknown They even requested a DNA sample from Andrea Woods and questioned her 21 year old son, who was taken aback by suddenly being considered a suspect. Despite their efforts a year after the initial incident. 01:09:26:23 - 01:09:28:29 Unknown We'll be back after these messages. 01:09:28:29 - 01:10:02:06 Unknown You? Hello. My name is April and I'm the host of the History podcast. Walkie talkie is two words. Your and. It's a play on the word walkie. Which is really fitting because I'm a dork who loves to talk about history and random events and people from history. So come join me as I dive into these events and people from Let's See The Iceman to Studio 54. 01:10:02:13 - 01:10:29:08 Unknown I covered up in a way that's easy to consume. Get ready to hear a new and different perspective and gain a deeper understanding of the past, while having some fun along the way. Welcome to dorky. You can find and subscribe to dorky anywhere you listen to podcasts. And dorky is on all social medias as dorky part. So be sure to check all of that out as well. 01:10:29:10 - 01:10:31:13 Unknown Talk to you soon, friends! 01:10:31:13 - 01:10:44:22 Unknown fresh leads were scarce and a crucial clue had been overlooked. Another family on the boulevard had received a similar letter from the watcher around the same time as the bronzes. 01:10:44:24 - 01:10:52:29 Unknown However, they discarded the letter, only mentioning that after the news broke. This revelation added to the complexity of the case without 01:10:52:29 - 01:11:10:24 Unknown providing significant leads, so I tried to find the contents of that letter and the contents of the letter that the woods received, and I couldn't find it. And even it just seems like if they would have just let it go and threw in the garbage, they would have been fine, because 01:11:10:24 - 01:11:13:04 Unknown everybody else seems to have done that. 01:11:13:04 - 01:11:35:13 Unknown They get one letter, they throw it the they forget about it. And yeah, it's like they're feeding his attention, right? Yeah. And even the, the partial parts of the letters that we're reading in the story are not the full letters, they're just excerpts. And I can't find the full letters anywhere online. 01:11:35:13 - 01:11:43:11 Unknown So during one stakeout on the boulevard, Chambliss observed a suspicious car stopping in front of the house late at night. 01:11:43:13 - 01:11:59:21 Unknown Upon investigation, he traced the car to a young woman in a nearby town whose boyfriend lived on the same block. According to her, her boyfriend was involved in a dark video game, including one featuring the character name The Watcher. 01:11:59:21 - 01:12:08:17 Unknown Although Chambliss suspected the boyfriend's involvement, he failed to show up for scheduled interviews and without sufficient evidence to compel him. 01:12:08:19 - 01:12:11:02 Unknown The case went cold. Eventually, 01:12:11:02 - 01:12:20:00 Unknown With media attention waning, Chambliss closed the case and shifted focus. So I looked into this a little bit deeper as well. 01:12:20:00 - 01:12:34:11 Unknown There was not a game in 2014 called The Watcher, and I couldn't find anything with somebody with a character name, The Watcher. So I'm wondering if it was maybe 01:12:34:11 - 01:12:36:28 Unknown just something similar to that. 01:12:36:28 - 01:12:54:13 Unknown Yeah, I'm not sure. Me either. And I thought maybe you would know because you know you love your games. I do love my games. But I mean it doesn't specify if it was a PC game or right, right. Council game or board game or so. Needless to say, I don't think he's the one. 01:12:54:13 - 01:12:55:04 Unknown Well, 01:12:55:04 - 01:12:56:16 Unknown you never know. You don't. 01:12:56:16 - 01:13:04:07 Unknown But I just my instinct doesn't point to him whether my instinct is right or not. I don't know. 01:13:04:07 - 01:13:14:17 Unknown While the practices grappled with the ongoing stress and fear, the incident became a local legend in Westfield, viewed as a spooky tale rather than a real threat, 01:13:14:17 - 01:13:26:22 Unknown Many residents struggled to reconcile the sinister events with their perception of the peaceful neighborhood. Some, even speculated that the protesters had fabricated the letters themselves. 01:13:26:22 - 01:13:42:23 Unknown Various theories emerged regarding the Broaddus situation, but none seemed to hold up under scrutiny. Some speculated that they concocted the letters as part of an elaborate scheme to back out of the home purchase or commit insurance fraud. 01:13:42:25 - 01:13:57:15 Unknown Others suggested that they were aiming for a movie deal, although they declined offers and even sent a cease and desist letter to lifetime regarding a movie called The Watcher. Another theory questioned their financial history, 01:13:57:15 - 01:13:58:08 Unknown noting their 01:13:58:08 - 01:14:08:08 Unknown property upgrades over the years. These speculations circulated despite the producers providing explanations for each inquiry. First off, 01:14:08:08 - 01:14:09:28 Unknown if they 01:14:09:28 - 01:14:14:05 Unknown did the letters themselves, why wouldn't they move into the house? 01:14:14:08 - 01:14:15:15 Unknown second off, 01:14:15:15 - 01:14:16:17 Unknown there 01:14:16:17 - 01:14:31:10 Unknown property upgrades weren't actually they did have a couple property upgrades in the previous home to buying. This one was around us, you know, around 300,000 or whatever. But it's in their history. It's showed that there was multiple, 01:14:31:10 - 01:14:37:27 Unknown other loans and stuff like that. And those turned out to be refinances of the home for better interest rates. 01:14:37:27 - 01:14:44:29 Unknown So it wasn't actually them buying different, multiple different properties. It was just them refinancing the homes. 01:14:44:29 - 01:14:55:17 Unknown Okay. And you know, if they were in it for a movie deal, why would they send a cease and desist to lifetime for creating a movie? 01:14:55:17 - 01:15:07:12 Unknown The Westfield's leader holding out for HBO? Netflix did take it on. There is a Netflix series that's based on this, but I don't think they got any profits from it at all. 01:15:07:12 - 01:15:31:15 Unknown The Westfield leader even published an article casting doubt on the producer's intentions, questioning their motives for renovating the home that they weren't moving into, and Maria's commitment to her family's safety, based on her public Facebook page. So basically, they were calling her out because her profile picture on her Facebook page had her children in it. 01:15:31:15 - 01:15:35:04 Unknown Who doesn't post pictures of their children on their Facebook page? 01:15:35:04 - 01:15:45:07 Unknown However, the police cleared Maria's DNA, describing some of the accusations. Still, skepticism persisted, with some residents and even law enforcement 01:15:45:07 - 01:15:48:21 Unknown entertaining the notion of an elaborate scam. 01:15:48:21 - 01:16:10:07 Unknown For the brightest, says, who had deep roots in the community, the accusations were deeply hurtful. Accused of being con artists, they felt betrayed by their neighbors and the community that they've been a part of for years. Derek believes that some residents preferred the conspiracy theory to facing the possibility of a real threat in their supposedly safe town. 01:16:10:07 - 01:16:15:20 Unknown Despite their efforts to address the situation, they were met with disbelief and suspicion. 01:16:15:22 - 01:16:19:01 Unknown Maria's upbringing in Westfield was marked by 01:16:19:01 - 01:16:21:25 Unknown reminders of the dark side of human nature, 01:16:21:25 - 01:16:38:25 Unknown including the infamous John Lewis murders that occurred in the town. And that was that murder I talked about earlier. Despite its reputation as a safe community, Maria's mother cautioned her against having a false sense of security, emphasizing the bad things 01:16:38:25 - 01:16:40:19 Unknown can happen anywhere. 01:16:40:22 - 01:16:44:19 Unknown This upbringing shaped Maria's perspective and prepared her to confront 01:16:44:19 - 01:17:02:24 Unknown unsettling reality of the Watcher's letters. While some locals were more concerned about the potential damage to Westfield's reputation from the national press coverage, others worried more about practical matters like property values and neighborhoods, stigma 01:17:02:24 - 01:17:11:02 Unknown Don't worry about the person being affected with this and this crazy man or woman in town, but it's going to bring the property values down. 01:17:11:04 - 01:17:16:03 Unknown Yeah, the practices found themselves ostracized not only from their home, but 01:17:16:03 - 01:17:22:20 Unknown their community. Derek wanted to leave Westfield, but Maria was determined to stay for the sake of their children, 01:17:22:20 - 01:17:26:01 Unknown refusing to let the watcher take more from them. 01:17:26:01 - 01:17:38:25 Unknown Despite their resolve to remain in town, the brightest has faced ongoing stress and anxiety. They eventually purchased a second home in Westfield using an LLC to keep its location private. 01:17:38:27 - 01:17:42:15 Unknown However, even staying in town proved challenging 01:17:42:15 - 01:17:43:24 Unknown with Maria constantly 01:17:43:24 - 01:17:52:12 Unknown monitoring her children's whereabouts and feeling the weight of their classmates perceptions about Westfield's safety 01:17:52:12 - 01:17:54:23 Unknown The ordeal left a profound impact 01:17:54:23 - 01:18:03:14 Unknown on the Broaddus family, forever altering their sense of security and belonging in their once idyllic hometown. 01:18:03:14 - 01:18:09:23 Unknown The Broaddus faced the daunting task of determining what to do with 657 Boulevard amidst their 01:18:09:23 - 01:18:16:04 Unknown ongoing legal battles, and the stigma attached to the property due to the Watcher's letters. 01:18:16:06 - 01:18:18:20 Unknown Despite their lawsuit against the Woods's 01:18:18:20 - 01:18:31:13 Unknown their prospects seemed bleak as new Jersey lacked regulations requiring sellers to disclose transient social conditions such as hauntings or unsettling letters 01:18:31:13 - 01:18:31:29 Unknown home. 01:18:31:29 - 01:18:39:14 Unknown In an attempt to sell the house, the Broaddus organized open houses and meticulously scrutinized potential buyers, 01:18:39:14 - 01:18:43:24 Unknown But each interested party backed out after reading the Watcher's letters. 01:18:43:24 - 01:18:55:14 Unknown Faced with dwindling options, the real estate lawyer proposed selling the property to a developer who could demolish the house and divide the land into two sellable lots, 01:18:55:14 - 01:19:02:29 Unknown potentially fetching around $1 million for each. However, this plan required approval from Westfield's 01:19:02:29 - 01:19:06:05 Unknown planning board due to zoning regulations. 01:19:06:05 - 01:19:12:14 Unknown The proposal sparked a heated debate in Westfield's community, with some expressing sympathy for the Brutus's 01:19:12:14 - 01:19:16:09 Unknown predicament, while others speculated about their intentions, 01:19:16:09 - 01:19:20:25 Unknown labeling them as scam artists or incompetent homeowners. 01:19:20:25 - 01:19:25:23 Unknown The Brutus's cautious approach to sharing information about the Watcher and compliance 01:19:25:23 - 01:19:26:01 Unknown with the 01:19:26:01 - 01:19:30:20 Unknown police's instruction was misunderstood by some neighbors, 01:19:30:20 - 01:19:34:10 Unknown further exacerbating the tension surrounding the property. 01:19:34:10 - 01:19:38:09 Unknown The meeting of the Planning Board in January 2017 01:19:38:09 - 01:19:44:15 Unknown drew significant attention, with over 100 residents in attendance and tensions running high. 01:19:44:17 - 01:19:50:27 Unknown One neighbor who lived across the street from 657 Boulevard, even hired a lawyer to oppose 01:19:50:27 - 01:19:58:15 Unknown the proposal to divide the property by raising suspicions that they might be the watcher themselves. Then dumbing down 01:19:58:15 - 01:20:06:21 Unknown the discussion veered between concerns about a static potential tree removal and the impact on the neighborhood's character. 01:20:06:21 - 01:20:11:02 Unknown Some neighbors viewed the proposal as a threat to the integrity of the community, 01:20:11:02 - 01:20:19:21 Unknown like cleaning the houses to Westfield's Alamodome and expressing a desire to preserve the neighborhood's identity. 01:20:19:21 - 01:20:29:20 Unknown Abby Lankford, a longtime resident, also voiced her opposition, citing the beauty of the existing house and her reluctance to see it replaced with something new, 01:20:29:20 - 01:20:35:25 Unknown however, admits the debate over zoning regulations. The neighborhood esthetics. There was little mention 01:20:35:25 - 01:20:40:28 Unknown of the underlying reason for the protesters desire to tear down the house 01:20:40:28 - 01:20:43:24 Unknown The unsettling letters from the watcher. 01:20:43:26 - 01:20:57:29 Unknown Tom Higgins, another neighbor, brought attention to this oversight, expressing concern about the potential for the watcher to target the new houses. Despite some residents showing compassion, the prevailing focus remained 01:20:57:29 - 01:21:00:04 Unknown on the financial considerations 01:21:00:04 - 01:21:00:14 Unknown of the 01:21:00:14 - 01:21:03:23 Unknown perceived threat of the property values, 01:21:03:23 - 01:21:09:17 Unknown the rejection of the proposal by the Planning Board was a devastating blow to Derek and Maria. 01:21:09:20 - 01:21:20:29 Unknown Their hopes for resolving their financial burden and moving past the nightmare they had endured were dashed. Despite their efforts to convey the gravity of the situation to their neighbors, 01:21:20:29 - 01:21:38:20 Unknown They felt as though their plea for understanding had fallen on deaf ears. The decision reinforced their sense of isolation and betrayal within their own community, and the actual reason that they rejected the proposal wasn't because they were new homes, supposedly. 01:21:38:22 - 01:22:02:00 Unknown Supposedly it was because the square footage of the lot would have been like three square feet less than the required, but other houses in the neighborhood were under the required square footage of the lot as well. 01:22:02:00 - 01:22:09:17 Unknown So they tried to fight it that way too, and it just didn't work for them. No, there were not another dead end, 01:22:09:17 - 01:22:11:05 Unknown however, admits their despair. 01:22:11:05 - 01:22:24:24 Unknown There was a glimmer of hope. A family had agreed to rent 657 Boulevard, providing some relief for the protesters. Despite the ongoing threat from the watcher, the new tenants were undeterred, 01:22:24:24 - 01:22:38:08 Unknown expressing confidence that they would handle any challenges that arose. Yet the presence of a clause in the lease allowing them to break it and case further letters underscored the persistent fear that lingered over the House. 01:22:38:08 - 01:22:47:29 Unknown Just wouldn't seem there might be some semblance of normalcy. Another envelope arrived figures the cycle of torment 01:22:47:29 - 01:22:54:13 Unknown perpetuated by the watcher continued a haunting reminder that the nightmare was far from over. 01:22:54:13 - 01:22:56:19 Unknown in the letter he wrote 01:22:56:19 - 01:23:07:04 Unknown that it will be recalled to follow principal federal partners words of warning for your 01:23:07:04 - 01:23:09:10 Unknown ooh, a little bitter there. 01:23:09:11 - 01:23:25:26 Unknown Yeah, he's pissed off now. The arrival of the new letter, filled with the vindictiveness and contempt, reopened the wounds inflicted by the Watcher's resent. Loss, harassment. Stop opening letters Jesus way 01:23:25:26 - 01:23:37:16 Unknown dated on the same day as the practices deposition and their lawsuit against the woods, as it suggested a chilling proximity to their lives. Feeling suspicion and paranoia, 01:23:37:16 - 01:23:45:11 Unknown the letter's tone was notably different from the previous ones, reflecting a heightened level of anger and hostility. 01:23:45:14 - 01:23:47:21 Unknown It seemed that The Watcher had been closely 01:23:47:21 - 01:23:51:05 Unknown monitoring the broadcaster's actions and interactions, 01:23:51:05 - 01:23:56:24 Unknown demonstrating an unsettling level of awareness in their movements and efforts to uncover their 01:23:56:24 - 01:24:08:08 Unknown identity. The mention of media coverage, surveillance efforts and the attempt to tear down the house indicated that the watcher was not only aware of external events, but 01:24:08:08 - 01:24:13:15 Unknown also took pleasure in upsetting the protesters attempt to find relief from their torment. 01:24:13:17 - 01:24:23:25 Unknown The references to the soldiers of the Boulevard and the army of supporters hinted at a network of allies or sympathizers. 01:24:23:25 - 01:24:26:19 Unknown further complicating the situation. 01:24:26:19 - 01:24:47:25 Unknown The letter served as a chilling reminder that the watchers influence extended beyond mere words on the page and instilled fear and uncertainty, leaving the protesters to grapple with the unsettling reality that their tormentor remained at large, capable and inflicting further harm in unpredictable ways. 01:24:47:27 - 01:24:49:28 Unknown The letter continued. 01:24:49:28 - 01:24:54:08 Unknown Extreme Be reform 01:24:54:08 - 01:25:00:11 Unknown We will look for your and support and use the for some more. We will miss 01:25:00:11 - 01:25:10:09 Unknown The certain the upper block of group B up to block block day 01:25:10:09 - 01:25:13:18 Unknown baby mystery. Still 01:25:13:18 - 01:25:14:11 Unknown that's more 01:25:14:11 - 01:25:16:02 Unknown for Bulldogs 01:25:16:02 - 01:25:19:24 Unknown when passed away simply screams 01:25:19:24 - 01:25:22:04 Unknown words block. 01:25:22:04 - 01:25:23:25 Unknown Damn, 01:25:23:25 - 01:25:34:05 Unknown he's getting real now. Oh he's pissed he's a creeper. Big time. I mean, to start threatening them that something could just happen, right? 01:25:34:07 - 01:25:38:14 Unknown It's insanity. That's that little kooky, 01:25:38:14 - 01:25:39:28 Unknown the broadest. His ordeal, 01:25:39:28 - 01:25:44:19 Unknown continues to cast a long shadow over their lives despite their efforts 01:25:44:19 - 01:26:05:17 Unknown to move forward, the trauma inflicted by the Watcher's letters lingers, manifesting in persistent anxiety, financial strain and social banishment. The recent letter arrived unexpectedly after a period of relative calm, reigniting their fears and reminding them that their tormentors still 01:26:05:17 - 01:26:07:25 Unknown power over their lives. 01:26:07:27 - 01:26:29:23 Unknown Their attempts to seek justice have been met with frustration and disappointment, with law enforcement unable to provide any substantial leads or resolution. The sense of vulnerability and uncertainty persists, exacerbated by the realization that the watcher could be anyone, even someone in their own community. 01:26:29:23 - 01:26:41:11 Unknown The decision to rent out 657 Boulevard offered a temporary reprieve, but the financial burden remained, further compounding their stress and anxiety over the persistent rumors. 01:26:41:11 - 01:26:43:13 Unknown The accusations from some members of the 01:26:43:13 - 01:26:53:22 Unknown community only added to their sense of isolation and injustice, highlighting the cruel reality of suburban life where gossip and speculation can inflict 01:26:53:22 - 01:26:58:14 Unknown as much harm as a physical threat. Reminds me of high school. 01:26:58:14 - 01:27:02:05 Unknown So, it was found out that Derek 01:27:02:05 - 01:27:05:04 Unknown did send some letters 01:27:05:04 - 01:27:06:21 Unknown to his neighbors 01:27:06:21 - 01:27:10:28 Unknown faking that they were like the watcher sending the letters. 01:27:10:28 - 01:27:20:28 Unknown And William writes brilliant that he wanted them to have the sense of fear that they had. Right. But instead of signing that the watcher, he signed it. 01:27:20:28 - 01:27:23:03 Unknown Friends of the Broaddus family. 01:27:23:03 - 01:27:35:00 Unknown So but he did come clean about sending those letters out. But he still denies him or Maria having any involvement with sending any of the other letters. 01:27:35:00 - 01:27:35:27 Unknown So 01:27:35:27 - 01:27:39:23 Unknown they have sold the property. 01:27:39:23 - 01:27:46:14 Unknown they sold it for, I think it was 3 or 400,000 less than they bought it for. 01:27:46:14 - 01:27:49:14 Unknown So I think they sold it for around 900,000. 01:27:49:14 - 01:27:55:04 Unknown The current owners of the property have not had any letters, 01:27:55:04 - 01:28:00:07 Unknown or they haven't admitted to having any letters anyway. Probably throw them away if they did 01:28:00:07 - 01:28:17:23 Unknown and they will not. They declined any media attention, declined to do any interviews. The real estate agent who sold the house to them also stays anonymous and declines to have any interviews. So basically, 01:28:17:23 - 01:28:22:07 Unknown there is no more and they haven't heard anything more from the watcher. 01:28:22:07 - 01:28:23:14 Unknown Crazy. 01:28:23:14 - 01:28:29:21 Unknown Isn't that story just insane? yeah, a little bit. you just 01:28:29:21 - 01:28:32:06 Unknown that is something of a horror movie. 01:28:32:06 - 01:28:36:18 Unknown this case, getting the information somehow. Right? Right. Or person if, 01:28:36:18 - 01:28:38:23 Unknown they do actually exist. 01:28:38:23 - 01:28:46:17 Unknown again, I guess if you can't find any proof of any cameras in the area that are pointed towards the house, right. 01:28:46:17 - 01:28:53:17 Unknown Well, maybe it is that family. It could be. And has anybody check the walls in the basement? 01:28:53:17 - 01:28:58:04 Unknown Yeah. I mean, what is in the walls? What is he referencing? 01:28:58:04 - 01:28:58:26 Unknown don't know, 01:28:58:26 - 01:29:02:10 Unknown a good question. You'd think it'd be easy enough to find out, you know. 01:29:02:10 - 01:29:24:02 Unknown I mean, you'd think the police would have wanted to find out, you know, by at least drawing some micro holes. And. Yeah, I was going to say, I know they have those for scoping the walls or something or something, but I know they have that ultrasonic equipment that can go over the ground like they used in that Skinwalker Ranch. 01:29:24:04 - 01:29:55:00 Unknown like finding bones. Yeah. That can cannot go through like concrete or brick or. Yeah, I have. Yeah. Then somebody somebody tell us what's in the freaking walls. We'll probably never know because it's probably a fictional story. but yeah, there is a Netflix, multi-part series that is based on this story. And it is it's a good story, but they definitely put their own spin on it. 01:29:55:06 - 01:30:06:13 Unknown Yeah, and add more to it. But definitely go check that out. And I would say it probably just is a story, you know. Yeah I mean there's probably some grains of truth in it. But 01:30:06:13 - 01:30:17:00 Unknown there should be some kind of proof. Well, and it was funny when I was digging and trying to find the full letters or find more information on the letters. 01:30:17:00 - 01:30:19:18 Unknown I found that there is an Etsy shop 01:30:19:18 - 01:30:20:10 Unknown that 01:30:20:10 - 01:30:35:10 Unknown sells replications of these letters. and people were commenting about how funny it was for them to be able to get these replicas, and they inserted different addresses and were sending them to their friends. 01:30:35:10 - 01:31:05:25 Unknown I'm like, what kind of friend are you if you're sending these kind of letters? Funny, on. Gotcha. April fools. well, I got the majority of this information. I mean, I was multiple different sources and stuff. Did you get it from, wackadoo.com and. No, I should of. That would be a good place to do it. But there was a big article that was done by the cut and that's where this whole story kind of blew up. 01:31:05:27 - 01:31:25:06 Unknown Okay. And so if you get a chance, go out and read that article. It's pretty crazy. I mean, I have read pretty much everything that they did in it as well. But yeah, this whole story blew my mind. And the first time I ever heard it was on a podcast and I was like, what the frick? Are you kidding me? 01:31:25:06 - 01:31:46:12 Unknown Is this for real? So you definitely find the doozies I like to do. This is. Or at least nobody died this time. At least that we know of. Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, maybe 1 or 2 deaths would have been good, you know, keep it a little bit actively, you know, I mean, I was starting to fall asleep halfway through. 01:31:46:12 - 01:31:53:26 Unknown I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you to sleep. I thought it was a pretty intense story. it's pretty good. It's 01:31:53:26 - 01:31:54:24 Unknown Well, 01:31:54:24 - 01:32:24:14 Unknown And that wraps up another hair raising episode, a total conundrum. We hope you enjoyed joining us on this journey into the chilling depths of the Watcher House, and did a huge thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in and sharing in the thrills and chills with us. As always, we value your feedback. Please rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify, subscribe and like on YouTube and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode. 01:32:24:17 - 01:32:51:11 Unknown Your support keeps us going. If you have any story, ideas or recommendations, contact us at talk.com or you can find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Remember conundrum crew. The mystery never ends. Keep exploring. Keep questioning, keep seeking the truth, and most importantly, keep on keeping on. We love you. Smell you later. Bye bye bye. 01:32:51:11 - 01:33:12:09 Unknown Thanks for hanging out with us here at Total Conundrum. Please make sure to check out our website and blog at Turtle conundrum.com for news, upcoming events, merch, bloopers, and additional hysteria. You never know or pop up, so be sure to follow along if you want to show your support for Total Conundrum and gain access to all of our bonus content. 01:33:12:16 - 01:33:42:12 Unknown Please visit our Patreon page. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The links are available in our show notes. If you have any questions, comments, recommendations or stories to share, please email us at contact at. Total conundrum.com. Episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. If you liked the show, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. 01:33:42:14 - 01:33:50:07 Unknown We appreciate the love. Keep on keepin on, motherfuckers. 01:33:50:09 - 01:33:56:17 Unknown You. 01:33:56:19 - 01:34:00:23 Unknown And. 01:34:00:26 - 01:34:12:20 Unknown Now it's time to have. 01:34:12:22 - 01:34:20:25 Unknown Your. 01:34:20:25 - 01:34:38:01 Unknown But I don't have.