MILFORD, N.H. — After more than two decades, a cold case has been reopened with an arrest: 39-year-old Douglas Herlihy was taken into custody this week in connection with the 2003 murder of his father, Paul Herlihy.
Paul, 50, was found dead in August 2003 inside his Milford home, with blunt force trauma as the cause of death. Decomposition at the scene made it difficult for investigators to determine the precise date of the killing.
Douglas Herlihy, then 18 years old, was arrested Tuesday in Saugus, Massachusetts on a warrant issued the previous day. He will be extradited to New Hampshire to face murder charges.
The arrest came after a renewed investigation by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office and the state’s cold case and major crime units.
At the time of the 2003 killing, Paul Herlihy had recently relocated his son to Milford from Massachusetts to help him escape legal trouble and drug-related influences. He was planning to open an antiques shop at the home where he was later found dead.
Shortly after Paul’s body was discovered during a welfare check, Douglas was arrested in Massachusetts for receiving stolen property — caught driving his father’s 1995 Lincoln Continental. He fled from police during that arrest but was not considered a suspect in the murder at the time.
Douglas later received a suspended sentence for stealing the vehicle. His attorney at the time claimed he fled because he didn’t know why police were pursuing him. He broke down upon learning of his father’s death.
Friends and family previously described Paul as a “devoted father” who had hoped to give Douglas a fresh start. Police had responded to the home nearly 40 times in the years leading up to the murder for various incidents.
In 2010, Douglas Herlihy faced unrelated drug and burglary charges.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what new evidence led to the arrest in 2025, but former police chief Richard Melo suggested a witness may have recently come forward, providing vital information that allowed prosecutors to move forward with charges.
Douglas Herlihy remains in custody, awaiting extradition.
