Man accused of capital murder, tampering with evidence in death of unborn child, Parker County Sheriff's Office says
A man who works in IT for the U.S. Department of Justice has been arrested in connection with the death of his unborn child and tampering with evidence, the Parker County Sheriff's Office announced Monday.
Justin Anthony Banta, 38, was taken into custody on Friday, June 6, for capital murder following a months-long investigation into the death of his ex-girlfriend's unborn child, the sheriff's office said.
Victim says Banta forced her to have an abortion
In September 2024, Banta's then-girlfriend reported that he intentionally added "Plan C," an abortion drug, to her drink so that she'd have an abortion without her knowledge.
She told authorities that while she was still in a romantic relationship with Banta, she found out she was pregnant and Banta proposed to cover the cost of an abortion and suggested the couple order "Plan C" online, the sheriff's office said in a news release. But she told Banta that she wanted to keep the baby.
In October 2024, when the victim was about six weeks pregnant, she went for a sonogram and learned the baby "had a strong heartbeat, displayed good vital signs and was said to be healthy by her doctor," according to Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier.
Later that same day, the victim said she and Banta met at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, where she shared her suspicion that Banta "secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission," the news release said.
A day after their coffee shop outing, the victim began to suffer from fatigue and heavy bleeding, leading to an emergency room visit. The victim told authorities she lost the baby on Oct. 19, which she believed was a result of Banta slipping her "Plan C" in her drink.
Banta allegedly deletes cellphone evidence
The Parker County Sheriff's Office said Banta was interviewed about the incident, and his cellphone was collected as evidence in the case.
Investigators believe Banta, who works in the IT Department of the U.S. Department of Justice, later accessed the phone remotely and "performed a 'reset,' thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case."
Investigators obtained a felony arrest warrant for Banta, who was booked in the Parker County Jail for tampering with physical evidence and a charge from the Texas Rangers for capital murder, which has been filed in Tarrant County.
The investigation is still ongoing, and the sheriff's office said the cases against Banta are awaiting prosecution.
