A New Hampshire man faces up to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his father more than 20 years ago.

Douglas Herlihy, now 40, has admitted to killing his father as a 17-year-old, according to the New Hampshire Department of Justice.

The father and son had a turbulent relationship with prior violence and law enforcement involvement before the father's death.

Paul Herlihy, 50, was found on August 27, 2003, during a welfare check requested by a relative.

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Officers entered his Milford, New Hampshire home through a window. They immediately noticed  hundreds of flies and the strong odor of decomposition,  court records show.

Paul Herlihy's body was found on the kitchen floor wrapped in carpet and covered with a blue tarp. Officers found blood spatters on kitchen cabinets, the refrigerator, walls and the ceiling.

The autopsy determined the death to be a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma within the past four days.

The medical examiner found injuries to Paul Herlihy's nose and jaw, fractures to his skull, and damage to his voice box. Investigators said the killer repeatedly struck him in the head, causing his death.

In the backyard of the home, directly outside Douglas Herlihy's bedroom window, the police found carpet and carpet padding with blood stains. Investigators concluded that the carpets and padding were pushed out of Douglas Herlihy's bedroom window, which was open when investigators visited. DNA testing suggested the blood on the carpet and padding could belong to Paul Herlihy.

Inside the younger Herlihy's bedroom, a closet door was covered with a towel. When investigators removed the towel, they found  large handwriting on the door, which read:  I WILL SEE YOU IN HELL,'  according to an arrest affidavit.

A killer was never identified.

DISCARDED TRASH UNCAPS 41-YEAR-OLD MURDER CASE IN RITZY SEASIDE RESORT TOWN, AUTHORITIES SAY

 I beat my first body when I was 17'

In the months and years after Paul Herlihy's death, his son had repeated brushes with the law,
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