Jeffrey Mundt and Joseph Banis admitted they buried Jamie Carroll’s body in the basement of their Kentucky home in 2009, but both denied killing him and blamed one another.
Murder in Glitterball City is a two-part HBO documentary examining the 2009 killing of Jamie Carroll, whose body was hidden in a Kentucky basement by Jeffrey Mundt and Joseph Banis.
Banis revealed details about Carroll’s death after police arrested him on domestic violence charges following an incident that occurred after he and Mundt ended their relationship.
Banis told investigators that Mundt killed Carroll out of jealousy, while Mundt accused Banis of slitting Carroll’s throat. Ultimately, only Banis was convicted of murder.
The case began with a domestic violence call in Kentucky.
In June 2010, Mundt dialed 911 and reported that his former partner, Banis, was attempting to smash through his bedroom door with a hammer, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE.
Audio from the call captured Mundt growing increasingly frantic as he waited for officers, while loud banging echoed in the background.
Mundt later told police he had recently broken up with Banis and believed his ex had come to kill him, the report states. He remained locked inside the room even after officers arrived.
Police placed Banis in handcuffs and removed him from the property. While being transported to the station, he made a shocking statement to officers: a dead body was buried in his basement, according to the report.
The two-part HBO documentary Murder in Glitterball City explores the murder of Jamie Carroll, whose body police later uncovered in that basement.
The film also follows the police investigation and the separate trials of Mundt and Banis through police footage and court records.
During interrogations, both men admitted they had invited Carroll to their home the night he died for a drug-fueled encounter and that they buried his body in a makeshift grave in the basement. Neither, however, admitted to killing him.
Banis provided officers with a map of the house to help locate the body. When detectives questioned Mundt, he initially denied any knowledge of the burial.
He later changed his account, acknowledging that he knew about the body and helped Banis bury Carroll because he feared for his own life.
Regarding the killing itself, Mundt told police that Banis slit Carroll’s throat and then shot him with a handgun.
Banis offered a different version, claiming Mundt was intensely jealous of Carroll and that he watched Mundt stab their guest before shooting him.
Carroll’s body remained in the basement for more than six months before police recovered it. Authorities determined he suffered six stab wounds and a single gunshot wound to the head.
His death was ruled a homicide.
Police arrested both Mundt and Banis on charges of first-degree murder, robbery and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors tried them separately, according to probable cause affidavits obtained by PEOPLE.
Banis’ trial began in February 2013, and Mundt testified against his former partner.
Trial footage included in the documentary shows Mundt telling jurors he feared Banis and stayed silent about the crime because he was afraid.
A jury ultimately convicted Banis of complicity to murder, robbery and tampering with evidence, sentencing him to life in prison, according to court records.
Three months later, in May 2013, Mundt went to trial.
Unlike Banis, Mundt retained a prominent defense attorney and did not have an extensive criminal record.
He also presented a key piece of evidence — a videotape showing Banis confessing to Carroll’s murder.
In the video, Banis appears in a motel room, claiming he is holding Mundt hostage at gunpoint, and confesses to killing Carroll. The footage helped persuade the jury to acquit Mundt of murder, though they convicted him of robbery and tampering with evidence.
Court records indicate Mundt received a three-year sentence for robbery and five years for tampering. He was released after serving one year in prison.
Banis remains incarcerated and continues to pursue a new trial. He will become eligible for parole in 2030.
HBO’s Murder in Glitterball City premiered Thursday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
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