WOODSTOCK — The black Jeep is still parked in the driveway at the Sherbinski home, on a winding road along the banks of the Pemigewasset River.

Mary Sherbinski said she drives it occasionally. It is not that it is comfortable or easy on her arthritis, but she does so because it reminds her of her son, Peter.

It was a treasure he held dear along with his dog Zeus, who, like her 35-year-old son, is now dead and gone.

In September, 2011, Peter was punched outside Truant's Tavern and died. The Nashua man who was accused of negligent homicide in his death, Davis Eastman, was acquitted by a Grafton County jury.

Mary Sherbinski said she, along with the rest of her family, are “sort of shattered.”

At the time of his death, Peter Sherbinski was working hard at Loon Mountain Rustics, taking an online course in business, working out and looking forward to the 2011 snowboarding season at Loon.

Sherbinski held a photograph of her youngest at the kitchen table. It was taken the week he died. Atop Mount Lafayette. Smiling.

Her boy enjoyed all that New Hampshire's White Mountains afforded him growing up, loved its people and they loved him.

The funeral was packed last October, and people were calling his death tragic, stupid, horrific, senseless.

Sherbinski had gone out Sept. 17, with friends to play golf at the Jack-O-Lantern and they ended up first going to a series of bars in Thornton, Lincoln and Woodstock, ending up at Truant's Tavern where he was known as a particularly good pool player.

It was during the Highland Games. The place was packed.

His mother said friends of his told her he had asked a man in a group in the bar if they wanted to play pool.

“The tall guy said 'no.' He was one related to or at least with the guy,” she said.

There is an unclear picture of what happened from this point on, but the man admitted to police he hit Sherbinski outside the bar. Peter Sherbinski fell backwards on to the hard ground and he never recovered.

He died at Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth.

“It has kind of torn up my family,” said his mother..

She said that the press reported at the time that her son somehow provoked the attack by making rude gestures towards one of the women but she said that did not sound like her son.

A charge of negligent homicide was brought but after a five-day trial in Grafton County Superior Court, the jury acquitted the man and the day after, his attorney filed for the case to be anulled.

Court officials said last week that they could not release the file and to do so would be a misdemeanor.

Lara Saffo, Grafton County attorney, considered the Union Leader's request under the state's Right-to-Know law but responded Friday that she could not confirm nor deny there is a file or comment.

Eric Wilson, attorney for Eastman, said his client agreed last week to allow him to speak, in spite of the annulment.

“It was clearly a self-defense case,” Wilson said.

“Davis is pleased his name has been cleared. Despite initial news reports from Mr. Sherbinski's friends that Davis was the agressor, the truth was he (Eastman) was confronted by a much larger and intoxicated man.”

“Peter Sherbinski certainly did not deserve to die and Davis and everyone is sad that that happened,” Wilson said.

Mary Sherbinski said she does not have interest in what Eastman has to say. He has never offered any remorse or apology,she said.

“He wouldn't have died from drinking,” she said, “but he died from that punch. I couldn't believe he got off.”

ptracy@unionleader.com