In 2009, police were called to the Louisville, Kentucky, residence of a pair, Joseph Banis and Jeffrey Mundt, over a domestic dispute that ended with the invention of a body of their basement. Each Banis and Mundt fessed as much as the body’s existence, but each also pointed the finger at each other over who killed local drag performer Jamie Carroll. Murder in Glitterball City explores this bizarre ambiguity and the way either man could have committed the heinous crime.
A part of what makes Murder in Glitterball City such an exceptional documentary is its refusal to supply easy answers for its audience, as a substitute allowing the story to flourish within the murky gray areas. Mundt and Banis are portrayed in vivid (and disturbing) detail, and each men are depicted as equally able to committing the crime — even Carroll is shown to have been a flawed person. Featuring interviews with experts, testimonials from neighbors and community members, local history and trial footage, Murder in Glitterball City excels as a fascinating and well-made documentary.