What will Acosta do with his life?

What does John Acosta do now?

That's a question on a lot of minds after the 27-year-old's release from prison Sunday.

Acosta was incarcerated for manslaughter, the tragic result of an after-school fight on Oct. 18, 2001 during which fellow Manatee High student James Brier died from a blow that ruptured an artery in the back of his  neck.

A decade has gone by, yet feelings remain strong in the community about what happened that awful day, as is evident in today's story by Richard Dymond.

Brier, 16, was well thought of by classmates.

Acosta, 17, had a reputation in school as a bully.

Regardless, no one could have foreseen the fight turning deadly.

One young life ended.

The other, changed in a severe way.

Acosta served more than eight years --- eight years he will never get back.

He went to prison a teenager and came out as an adult.

Hopefully, a wiser one.