Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, HBO’s ‘Murder in Glitterball City’ is a documentary series chronicling the late 2009 homicide of James Carroll in Old Louisville, Kentucky. It thus delves into the allegedly toxic romance between Jeffrey “Jase” Mundt and Joseph “Joey” Banis, as well as how unreliable narratives in the matter have always raised more questions than answers. In the end, only the latter was convicted of murder, so one of his former boyfriends, Kevin Asher, also featured in the original to give us a deeper insight into who he really was at his core.
Kevin Asher and Joey Banis Reportedly Came Out of the Closet After Falling in Love
On a rainy November night in 1992, Kevin Asher encountered Joey Banis in the parking lot of a bank. He shared that he started a casual conversation because he found Joey incredibly charming. Little did either of them know their chance meeting would soon lead to intentional discussions and planned meetings that primarily took place in their car, owing to the nature of their bond. After all, they were both young and resided with their parents, so they were limited in where they could go to simply talk for hours with the sole aim of getting to know one another better. On the show, Kevin shared he also really liked that Joey seemed intelligent, knew how to “carry a conversation,” and hailed from a strong, stable family. Therefore, once they were adults ready to step into the real world, they chose to move in together.
They settled in the apartment Kevin got on South First Street in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. There were no closets in the small apartment, so he said they shared a joke that went, “We just came out of the closet, so I guess we don’t need them anymore.” What followed was Kevin and Joey establishing something real, which continued even after Joey opened up about his troubled past with felony convictions for drug and weapon possession. Kevin stated that he embraced his boyfriend for who he was, noting that every youngster has made mistakes, and added that what really mattered was how he chose to move forward in life. He had no idea it would pave the path for LSD to get into their relationship and soon make him realize Joey didn’t have the switch most people do that tells them to stop when enough is enough.
Kevin Asher and Joey Banis Broke Up Following an Alleged Domestic Incident
Kevin still remembers it was after he learned about Joey being a convicted criminal that he suddenly started being asked if he had done Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) or was interested in it. He later began dabbling in the drug recreationally, as per his own account in the show, and it was while the couple was high on Father’s Day one year that an intense argument between them broke out. The former has since claimed it was as if his boyfriend suddenly flipped during their fight as he picked up a piece of broken glass and shoved it right into one of his arms.
Joey then allegedly exclaimed, “See what you made me do?” which frightened Kevin even more. Thankfully, though, his fight or flight response automatically clicked in within moments. That’s when he knew he had to be careful, so he calmly got up and walked out of their home to de-escalate the situation before going to a neighbor’s to ask if they could please call the police. He was reportedly bleeding so much that he gave his neighbors quite a shock, yet it inadvertently worked in his favor as it enabled him to get his then-boyfriend kicked out quickly.
Hence, Kevin and Joey’s romance concluded for good with this alleged domestic incident, only for the latter to move in right next door within days, according to the original series. The entire ordeal was terrifying for the former, especially as his ex eventually began sending him daily handwritten letters, always signing them with symbols of peace, love, and happiness. He still has shoeboxes full of these letters because their connection grew amicable over time, yet the only reason he agreed to be part of this documentary series was to be honest. He was determined not to paint Joey in a positive or negative light despite his murder conviction now; he simply wanted to reveal his truth while also being a voice for victim James Carroll because his was snatched away back in 2009.
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Based in Nevada Today, Kevin Asher is a Man of Many Hats
Although still a proud native of Louisville, Kentucky, Kevin Asher has reportedly not resided there for more than two decades as of writing, since at least the early to mid-2000s. From what we can tell, the University of Louisville graduate had moved to Chicago, Illinois, sometime around 2003, following which he kick-started a career in real estate in 2004. He was actually associated with Baird & Warner as a Realtor from January 2004 to December 2010 before deciding to spread his wings and pursue the path he’d had an interest in for ages.
Kevin ultimately settled in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he currently serves as a Voice-Over Talent, specializing in conversational and friendly commercials, e-learning, as well as character work. His credits include ‘Wasteland 2’ (2014), ‘Cannijuana Friends’ (2015), a video narration project helmed by Sunny Mac Films, and a radio ad by BowerComm, amongst many more. On a more personal level, he is a car aficionado, a travel enthusiast, and a hobbyist crafter who even spent over 2½ years building an Eiffel Tower lamp/showpiece entirely out of wine corks.
Kevin also designed and decorated his back porch all by himself in 2025, making it clear that whenever he is not working, traveling, or caring for his black Porsche, he is building his forever home. The fitness lover with a passion for food often even shares his meals on social media to hold himself accountable for eating clean, as well as to hopefully inspire others to do the same. We should mention that the restaurant worker did have a health scare in early 2025 due to a gallstone, but he was able to conquer it by developing healthy habits and biking 15 miles a day.
