PARKER COUNTY, Tx. () – On June 6th, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) apprehended a man connected to a capital murder case involving a pregnant woman.
Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said the case also involves the suspect tampering with evidence in the months-long investigation.
The woman claimed her boyfriend surreptitiously added “Plan C” (an abortion drug) to her drink, aiming to induce an abortion without her consent or knowledge.
In September 2024, the woman reported that she was in a romantic relationship with 38-year-old Justin Anthony Banta when she found out she was pregnant. After informing Banta of her condition, he offered to pay for an abortion and proposed that they purchase “Plan C” online. However, she expressed her desire to keep the baby.
On October 17th, 2024, when the victim was approximately 6-weeks pregnant, she went for a sonogram, where she learned the baby had a strong heartbeat, displayed good vital signs and was said to be healthy by her doctor.
Later that same day, the victim reportedly met Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, Texas, where she expressed her suspicion that he had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge while they were together.
The next day, the victim stated she began to suffer from extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding, causing her to have to go to the emergency room. The victim said she lost her baby on Oct. 19th, which she believed was a result of the drugs put in her drink.
Following an interview with Banta, his cell phone was collected as evidence. 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 obtained a felony arrest warrant for Banta, who was booked into the Parker County Jail on a charge from the PCSO for tampering with physical evidence and a charge from the Texas Rangers for capital murder. Cases against Banta remain active and are awaiting prosecution. Due to the ongoing investigation, no further details pertaining to this case are being released.
