Westfield Watcher Tops Jersey Devil As Urban Legend: Thrillist

WESTFIELD, NJ - Mother Leeds' 13th child has taken a backseat to the Westfield Watcher as the home stalker passed the Jersey Devil as the New Jersey's top urban legend, according to the website Thrillist.

According to the site the Westfield Watcher joins the ranks of New Mexico's Chupacabra, Maryland's Goat Man, the Phantom Jogger of Canyon Hill in Idaho and of course the infamous Florida Skunk Ape.

Thrillist included in their rationale why each entry was creepy and where it came from. In the case of the Westfield Watcher, Thrillist said that it surpassed the Jersey Devil because there is doubt of the Devil's existence.

For those who may not remember, the Westfield home, located at 657 Boulevard, has been allegedly stalked by someone calling themselves "The Watcher."

The owners purchased the home in 2014 for $1.3 million but filed a lawsuit against the former owners after they received disturbing letters from a stalker who identified himself as "The Watcher."

The highly-publicized saga began in June 2014, when the Broaddus family with three young children purchased the property. The excitement of purchasing their dream home quickly went south, though. The new owners claim within days of moving in, they began receiving letters from a stalker who called himself "The Watcher."

Disturbing letters from the "The Watcher" reportedly included phrases like: "My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time."

"Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Once I know their names I will call to them and draw them to me. I asked the (prior owners) to bring me young blood," the stalker also reportedly wrote.
The couple, who have three children, say they were too scared to move in to the six-bedroom house due to alleged threats the letters contained such as "allow me to watch you and track you as you move through the house.

• See Related: 'The Watcher' Home Saga Continues; Former Owners Seeking Damages
• See Related: Westfield 'Watcher' Lawsuit Won't Be Dismissed, Judge Rules
• See Related: Westfield 'Watcher' Home Is For Sale Again

Maria and Derek Broaddus filed a suit claiming that the previous homeowners, John and Andres Woods, had knowledge that the property was being stalked by "The Watcher" and didn't disclose it to them. Judge Camille M. Kenny threw out the charges and said he didn't want to enforce a burden on future sellers on what they need to disclose to buyers.

"The Broaddus family took a brave and truthful stand as they would not sell this house without a full disclosure of the letters they receive," said Lee M. Levitt, the Broaddus family's attorney. "We continue to believe it is critical for all N.J. homeowners to know the truth about the houses they purchase."

The Union County Prosecutor's Office and Westfield Police Department reported that an investigation into this matter remains active.

As for where it came from, Thrillist said:

"Is this a prank based off a weirdly accepted local legend? A media hoax? A way to drive down real-estate prices? It's impossible to know, but I feel very weird. And somebody is still sending letters to inhabitants of the house. The debate and skepticism still burn in the creepiest corners of the internet, and while it's a fairly 'new' legend, it's probably one of the scariest entries on this list, no matter what you believe."

So what do you think? Does the Westfield Watcher deserve top slot over the Jersey Devil? And what about infamous haunts like Clinton Road and Shades of Death Road? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and tell us your favorite local New Jersey legend.

(Image via realtor.com: 657 Boulevard, Westfield - known as the "Watcher" home.)

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