A man from North Texas, employed by the U.S. Department of Justice, has been taken into custody and faces capital murder charges. Authorities allege that he discreetly provided his pregnant girlfriend with a drug intended to induce abortion, resulting in the death of her six-week-old fetus.
In a significant development, 38-year-old Justin Anthony Banta was taken into custody on Friday after an extensive investigation that spanned several months, as reported by the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, he is confronted with an accusation of altering physical evidence.
Sheriff Russ Authier announced that the investigation commenced in September 2024, following a report from the victim regarding the incident. After discovering her pregnancy, she reported that Banta, her boyfriend at the time, proposed that she consider an abortion. In a shocking turn of events, after she made it clear she wanted to keep the baby, Banta reportedly took matters into his own hands by ordering an abortion-inducing drug online, known to authorities as “Plan C.”
The victim reported that a sonogram conducted on October 17, 2024, indicated the foetus was healthy and had a strong heartbeat. Later that day, she encountered Banta at a coffee shop in Benbrook. The victim later informed investigators that she believed Banta had covertly added the pills to her drink during that encounter.
According to arrest documents, Banta allegedly provided the victim with a drink he had bought before her arrival, along with some homemade cookies. Security footage from the store revealed that she consumed the entire beverage, yet left the cookies untouched, as noted by the police.
The next day, she encountered severe exhaustion and significant bleeding, leading her to seek care at an emergency room. On October 19, 2024, she experienced the loss of her foetus, which she attributed directly to the medications she had taken.
Banta revealed during a police interview that he was aware the officers were seeking to discuss the miscarriage with him. He informed the authorities that he had placed an order for the Plan C pills using his mobile device.
Authorities seized Banta’s cell phone as part of their investigation. Authorities suspect Banta, an employee in the IT Department of the U.S. Department of Justice, remotely accessed the device and executed a factory reset, erasing vital evidence.
Banta was taken into custody and placed in the Parker County Jail on Friday. Parker County Sheriff’s Office has filed a charge of tampering with evidence. A capital murder charge has been brought forth by the Texas Rangers in Tarrant County, the site of the alleged poisoning incident.
Banta secured his release on Friday after posting a $500,000 bond related to the capital murder charge, along with a $20,000 bond for the tampering with evidence charge.
Sheriff Authier confirmed that the cases involving Banta are still ongoing and pending prosecution. As the investigation continues, additional information regarding this case remains under wraps for the time being.
Sheriff Authier announced that the Texas Rangers, Benbrook Police, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Digital Forensic and Technical Services, the U.S. Secret Service, the Regional Organised Crime Information Centre, and the FBI played key roles in the investigation.
