Westfield 'Watcher' Lawsuit Won't Be Dismissed, Judge Rules

A lawsuit that claims a family was sold an expensive Westfield home despite the previous owners' knowledge that the property was being stalked by "The Watcher" can continue, a judge has ruled, according to a report by NJ.com.

A motion to dismiss the lawsuit surrounding the "Westfield Watcher House" was rejected in Superior Court on Thursday, NJ.com reports.

The highly-publicized saga began in June 2014, when a couple with three young children purchased the property for more than $1 million. 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."

The family is now suing the previous owners, saying they were aware of the stalker but did not disclose the information when selling the home. The couple also claims they can not sell the house because of the publicity surrounding the home, known as the "Westfield Watcher House."

The property is currently for sale for $1.2 million. It is described as a "stately colonial designed with all the character & charm of the early 1900s."

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,” according to Courthouse News Service.

The previous owners have publicly admitted to receiving a single anonymous note in May 2014, days before the closing, but they deny that the note was disturbing.

(Photos, Westfield Realty)