“How did you end up here?” the writer asked. The Broadduses had bought 657 Boulevard just after Derek celebrated his 40th birthday, and their three kids were already debating which of the house’s fireplaces Santa Claus would use.īut as Derek kept reading the letter from his new neighbor, it took a turn. Derek grew up working-class in Maine, then moved his way up the ladder at an insurance company in Manhattan to become a senior vice-president with a salary large enough to afford the $1.3 million house. Maria was raised in Westfield, and the house was a few blocks from her childhood home. It was addressed in thick, clunky handwriting to “The New Owner,” and the typed note inside began warmly:Īllow me to welcome you to the neighborhood.įor the Broadduses, buying 657 Boulevard had fulfilled a dream. Derek and his wife, Maria, had closed on the six-bedroom house at 657 Boulevard three days earlier and were doing some renovations before they moved in, so there wasn’t much in the mail except a few bills and a white, card-shaped envelope.

One night in June 2014, Derek Broaddus had just finished an evening of painting at his new home in Westfield, New Jersey, when he went outside to check the mail.

Forensic files home of the brave