A North Texas man has been arrested after his ex-girlfriend accused him of secretly giving her an abortion-inducing drug, resulting in the death of their preborn child.
Justin Anthony Banta, 38, was booked on Friday into the Parker County Jail on a charge from local law enforcement of tampering with physical evidence and a separate charge from the Texas Rangers for capital murder.
According to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, a local woman discovered she was pregnant in September of 2024 and shared the news with Banta, her boyfriend at the time.
Banta then informed the woman that he had ordered an abortion-inducing drug for her over the internet. However, the woman told him after the purchase that she intended to keep the baby.
In her sixth week of pregnancy, the woman reportedly had a sonogram at a doctor’s office where she learned that her child had a strong heartbeat, displayed good vital signs, and was said to be healthy.
But officials said things began to turn sour after Banta and the woman met at a coffee shop in Benbrook. At that meeting, Banta gave the woman a drink he had purchased before her arrival and homemade cookies.
The next morning, according to law enforcement, the woman experienced pain, fatigue, and heavy bleeding. After a very short stint in the emergency room, the woman experienced a miscarriage on October 19.
“Following an interview with Banta, his cell phone was collected as evidence,” read the PCSO press release. “Sheriff’s investigators believe Banta, who works at 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.”
Sheriff’s investigators then obtained a felony arrest warrant for Banta.
Michael P. Heiskell, Banta’s attorney, told ABC’s WFAA 8 that the “charges against Justin will result in a vigorous defense.”
“He maintains his innocence as he did so when he fully cooperated and met with the investigating officers,” said Heiskell. “This cooperation included him voluntarily consenting to his phone being seized by said investigators.”
“I remind the public that these are only allegations and that Justin looks forward to clearing his good name in court,” he continued. “In that vein, we ask that his privacy and the due process our law provides him and the rest of us be honored and protected.”
Kimberlyn Schwartz, director of media and communication at Texas Right to Life, told Texas Scorecard that the story demonstrated, “When leftists sell abortion pills online, they’re endangering the very women they claim to help.”
“Texas House leaders refused to crack down on chemical abortions for the last two sessions, and it cost thousands of lives, including Banta’s unborn child here in this case,” said Schwartz.
The PCSO thanked several federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for their assistance in the investigation, including the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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