A man charged with killing another father after a dispute involving their teen children has rejected an offer that would have given him 10 years in prison in return for a guilty plea.
Eric D. Hannah, 56, of Vineland, is accused of killing Louis “Gus” Serbeck, 54, of Millville, during an April 20 brawl at Hannah’s residence.
Hannah’s 17-year-old son is also charged in the death.
The father and son are accused of striking Serbeck with a metal bat and a metal flashlight after the victim came to their home.
Serbeck went to the house to speak to the family about an incident a day earlier in which Serbeck’s daughter claimed the younger Hannah assaulted her, police said.
A grand jury indicted Eric Hannah last month on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
Hannah’s attorney entered a not guilty plea during a Monday hearing. The lawyer previously said his client wasn’t involved in the fight, didn’t strike anyone and only tried to defuse the situation.
Gus Serbeck “laid his life down to do what he does best, to protect his family; to protect his baby girl,” according to his obituary. It said his death “is just one more myth that will define his legendary life.”
Serbeck’s daughter was in “some kind of relationship” with Hannah’s son, Cumberland County Assistant Prosecutor Cathryn Wilson said during a May court hearing.
Officials previously said the daughter accused Hannah’s son of assaulting her a day before the fatal confrontation. But the prosecutor handling Monday’s hearing said the alleged assailant in that incident could have been “either one of the minors” living at the Hannah residence.
Serbeck’s daughter told her father about the assault, and they went to the Hannah home on Easter Sunday to speak to the family, investigators said.
Gus Serbeck and Eric Hannah were longtime friends, according to family and investigators.
The Serbecks were met at the door by the 17-year-old charged in the case.
The teen immediately began throwing punches at the elder Serbeck and then attacked him with a metal bat, prosecutors said.
Hannah’s daughter recorded cellphone video showing some of the incident.
The video shows Serbeck holding the boy on the ground and the boy, who suffered facial injuries in the fight, continuing to hit Serbeck with the bat, prosecutors said.
Eric Hannah then joined the fight, according to Cumberland County Assistant Prosecutor Shari-Ann Sasu.
“It’s further alleged that this defendant, Eric Hannah, was present and later joined the fight, potentially striking the victim as well,” Sasu said Monday. “He was seen in possession of both the metal bat and the metal flashlight on a recording that took place by his daughter.”
Serbeck’s daughter told investigators Eric Hannah hit her father in the head with the metal flashlight multiple times, though the video doesn’t show him hitting Serbeck, according to the prosecution and court documents.
A “noticeable mark” found on Serbeck’s head matches the imprint from the flashlight, the prosecution stated.
When the Serbecks tried to leave, Hannah’s son started hitting Serbeck’s car with a hammer, according to the prosecution.
Then, Serbeck said he couldn’t breathe and collapsed, his daughter told investigators.
He died on his way to a hospital.
While the prosecution is still waiting on the autopsy report, the prosecutor’s office received an analysis of the findings, Sasu stated Monday.
“It is alleged that the assault was a contributing factor amongst many to the decedent’s demise,” she said.
Under the state’s plea offer, Hannah could plead to an aggravated manslaughter charge in return for a recommended sentence of 10 years in prison. The deal would have a requirement that he serve at least 85% of that time before he’s eligible for parole.
Hannah’s son was charged with homicide and weapons offenses, along with an aggravated assault charge for allegedly striking Serbeck’s daughter in the head during the fight.
He could be tried as an adult, prosecutors said.
At the time of the incident, Eric Hannah was already on pre-trial release in an unrelated case involving charges that he possessed methamphetamine and ghost guns, which are firearms without serial numbers.
Weapons recovered from his home in that case included two shotguns and a rifle, according to court documents. He was also charged with possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine. Hannah was indicted on five counts in that case and previously entered a not guilty plea to those charges.
During the hearing on Monday, defense attorney William Popjoy said Hannah informed him the guns were registered to his father. The prosecution has agreed to verify that with police, according to Popjoy.
“If they are in fact, as claimed, registered to his father, he’s willing to accept responsibility in some form for the drug charges,” Popjoy said. “So if we can get that confirmation, I believe that matter can be resolved at some point soon.”
Hannah remains jailed pending the resolution of his cases. He is due back in court Oct. 10 for his next hearings on both cases.
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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
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