NH Man Pleads Guilty in 2003 Beating Death of Father

NH Man Pleads Guilty in 2003 Beating Death of Father

“I beat my first body when I was 17!” More than two decades after his father was found dead, a Massachusetts man has admitted to the killing.

Douglas Herlihy, 40, of Saugus, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Oct. 21, to manslaughter in the 2003 beating death of his father, Paul Herlihy, 50, in Milford, New Hampshire. Under a deal with the state Attorney General’s Office, he also pleaded guilty to attempted falsification of physical evidence. He faces 12 to 24 years in state prison, and second-degree murder charges will be dropped.

Paul Herlihy was found dead at the home he shared with his 17-year-old son in August 2003. He died of blunt force trauma, with a broken nose and fractures to his jaw and skull. Reports say his body was wrapped in a carpet and tarp and left in the house.

Douglas wasn’t an initial suspect. But after an unrelated arrest in 2020, he allegedly bragged to an officer about his “first body,” according to Fox News. Investigators also found blood-stained carpet buried beneath his bedroom window. Behind a towel-covered closet door were the words “I WILL SEE YOU IN HELL.” A recorded call with his brother in May 2025 exposed holes in his story, and he was arrested that June.

In court, prosecutors said a struggle between father and son escalated when Douglas grabbed a baseball bat the family kept by the front door. Paul Herlihy had called police at least eight times in the months before his death over his son’s behavior. Douglas told acquaintances his father was abusive.

The court still has to accept the plea deal, and sentencing is expected in early 2027. Herlihy remains held without bail. The family has asked for privacy.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.