

List moved to Virginia and remarried, caught only after an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” aired with a bust of what prosecutors believed List would look like now. John Graff is based on John List, a Westfield resident who killed his wife, mother and children in 1971, then disappeared for 18 years. The envelope is addressed to "The New Owner," with a letter inside saying a person has been watching the home for years.įor example, the “The Watcher” ties in another gruesome incident from Westfield’s past.ĭean encounters a man named John Graff (Joe Mantello), who previously lived in 657 Boulevard. In the original story, Derek Broaddus, who inspired the show's character Dean Brannock and is played by Bobby Cannavale, said he found a note in his mailbox prior to his family moving into their new house.
#Stories watcher series#
Here's what to know about the fact and fiction behind "The Watcher." The real Broaddus family began receiving a series of letters The storyline follows Dean Brannock, his wife Nora Brannock, played by Naomi Watts, and their kids Ellie and Carter Brannock, portrayed by Isabel Gravitt and Luke David Blumm, respectively, as they try to solve the mystery while living as the new residents of 657 Boulevard. The real Broaddus family still lives in New Jersey - Westfield, the town where “The Watcher” takes place. In the seven-episode series, co-created and co-written by Ryan Murphy, the Brannock family - based on the real Broaddus family -moves into the home and is constantly haunted by an anonymous letter-writer (whose letters you can read). in 2014, only to realize they weren't the only ones with their eyes on 657 Boulevard.

An account published in New York Magazine by Reeves Wiedeman tells the tale of a family who purchased their dream home in Westfield, N.J.
