Jeffrey Mundt, Ky. man, acquitted of love triangle murder, convicted of lesser charges
(CBS) LOUISVILLE - On Wednesday, a Jefferson County jury in Louisville, Ky. found Jeffrey Mundt not guilty of helping his lover, Joseph Banis, kill another man in December of 2009 during a night of sex and drugs, according to the Courier-Journal.
The paper said the jury deliberated for eight hours and at 9 p.m., found Mundt guilty of the lesser charges of facilitation to robbery and tampering with evidence for burying the body of James Carroll in the basement of Mundt's home.
The jury recommended that Mundt get eight years in prison. He will be sentenced next month but he is already eligible for parole, reported the Courier-Journal.
Mundt's lawyers, Steve Romines, Ted Shouse and Annie O'Connell, argued that Joseph Banis acted alone in Carroll's murder. They stated that Banis, a "monster," kept his lover silent by threatening and intimidating him, reported the paper.
Romines was not satisfied with the verdict, saying, "We felt like he should have been acquitted of everything...I hate to have an innocent client taken to jail," according to the Courier-Journal.
The paper said Ryane Conroy, the Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, stated that the prosecution respected the verdict. However, he said that Banis and Mundt were "twisted" people and that they each played a role in Carroll's murder. After killing him, the two men allegedly smashed Carroll's body with a sledgehammer so that they could pack it into a 48-inch plastic container.
Banis and Mundt both admitted to hiding Carroll's corpse in a five-foot hole. About six months after the burial, Mundt called 911 saying that Banis was threatening him. Banis then helped police find the body, reported the Courier-Times.
Banis was convicted of murder in March after Mundt took a plea deal and agreed to testify against him, according to the paper.
After Banis's trial, he agreed to give up the right to appeal and testified against Mundt in order to escape the death penalty, reported the Courier-Times.