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NewsLa OpiniónOctober 25, 2026Los Angeles County

Douglas Herlihy pleads guilty to 2003 manslaughter of his father in New Hampshire

Photo: La Opinión

Douglas Herlihy pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the 2003 killing of his father, Paul Herlihy, when the defendant was 17 years old. Under a plea agreement with the New Hampshire Department of Justice, he faces 12 to 24 years in state prison, with formal sentencing scheduled for early 2027.

Public SafetyCrime and Law EnforcementJudicial System
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Why It Matters

A decades-old homicide case in Milford, New Hampshire, is resolved through a plea deal carrying a multi-decade prison sentence for the perpetrator and concluding an investigation that spanned over twenty years.

Key Facts

  • Douglas Herlihy pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing his father, Paul Herlihy, in 2003 when the defendant was 17 years old.
  • The plea agreement requires Herlihy to serve a prison sentence of 12 to 24 years.
  • Formal sentencing is scheduled for early 2027.
  • Paul Herlihy's body was discovered on August 27, 2003, in his Milford, New Hampshire, home after a family member requested a wellness check.
  • An autopsy determined Paul Herlihy died from blunt force trauma, suffering skull fractures, facial injuries, and laryngeal damage.
  • Investigators in 2003 found blood-stained carpet fragments and padding beneath the bedroom window of Douglas Herlihy, with DNA matching the victim.
  • A message reading 'TE VERÉ EN EL INFIERNO' was found written on a closet door inside Douglas Herlihy's bedroom in 2003.
  • During a 2020 traffic stop, Douglas Herlihy told a police officer, 'I won my first murder case when I was 17 years old!'
  • Douglas Herlihy was arrested in Saugus, Massachusetts, in June 2025 and extradited to New Hampshire.
  • The plea deal includes a suspended additional sentence of three and a half to seven years for attempted tampering with physical evidence, contingent on a 20-year probation or suspension period.
  • New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella credited the state's Cold Case Unit with resolving the decades-old investigation.

Who's Mentioned

PersonDouglas Herlihy“Defendant who pleaded guilty to manslaughter at age 40 for a crime committed whe”PersonJohn M. Formella“New Hampshire Attorney General who commented on the case.”locationMassachusetts“State where the defendant was located and arrested before extradition.”locationSaugus“Massachusetts town where Douglas Herlihy was arrested in June 2025.”locationMilford“Location of the residence where Paul Herlihy's body was found in 2003.”OrganizationNew Hampshire Department of Justice“State agency that reported the guilty plea and coordinates the Cold Case Unit.”OrganizationHerlihy family“Family of the victim and defendant who requested privacy through the Department ”locationNew Hampshire“State where the crime occurred and where the prosecution takes place.”PersonPaul Herlihy“Victim found dead in his Milford home in August 2003.”