what is the watcher based on

The Watcher is a Netflix series based on the true story of Derek and Maria Broaddus, who purchased their dream home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey in 2014. The family began receiving anonymous letters from someone calling themselves "The Watcher" before they could even move into their new home. The letters were threatening and terrorized the family in various ways. The Watcher series is inspired by the events detailed in a New York Magazine/The Cut article by Reeves Wiedeman, first published in 2018. While the series is based on the true story, Ryan Murphy, the shows creator, has taken creative liberties with certain details and altered certain facts, such as the family's names, to protect their privacy. The Watcher creatively weaves in the story of John List, who murdered his family 33 years before the Broadduses purchased 657 Boulevard, into the central tale with some fabrications. Police, investigators, and the FBI studied the case over several years, examining handwriting in the letters, analyzing DNA evidence, and interviewing neighbors in an attempt to connect the messages to an individual. However, as of now, there has been no official discovery as to the identity of "The Watcher".