Dad Killed Defending Daughter Was On Meth, Report Says

VINELAND, NJ — A 54-year-old father who was beaten and killed while defending his daughter was also "on meth" and had heart issues that may have contributed to his death, according to NJ Advance Media.

Jacob Hannah, 18, and Eric D. Hannah, 56, are accused of being responsible for the death of Louis "Gus" Serbeck, 54, of Millville, after a fight in 2025.

On April 20, 2025, Jacob, who was 17 at the time, assaulted Serbeck's daughter at the Hannah home in Vineland, authorities said.

The next day, Serbeck and his daughter went to the home to talk with Hannah about what had happened.

The two got into a fight, which Eric later joined.

Jacob hit Serbeck in the head multiple times with a metal baseball bat, and his dad hit him in the back of the head with a flashlight.

During a hearing in April, Superior Court Judge William Ziegler said Serbeck suffered blunt force head trauma and called the case a homicide, while also saying that drugs and heart issues "probably contributed to the death."

An autopsy also confirmed that heart disease did, in fact, play a role, the prosecution said at the hearing.

Serbeck was taken to a nearby hospital to be flown to Cooper University Hospital, but died while en route.

Jacob, who is being tried as an adult, and Eric were both indicted on charges of aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and other weapons charges.

Anyone with additional information regarding this case can contact the Vineland Police Department at (856) 691-4111 or reach out through the njccpo.gov/tips site.

Both Hannahs are scheduled to appear in court again on June 15.

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