A Texas man is facing murder charges after allegedly causing his pregnant girlfriend to lose her pregnancy. Justin Anthony Banta reportedly ordered drugs online to abort the fetus after his girlfriend told him about the pregnancy. When she expressed a desire to keep the pregnancy, police say he put the drugs in her coffee. As a result, she lost the pregnancy.
Banta admitted to purchasing the drugs, but remotely destroyed evidence on a cellphone that could prove what he’d done, authorities say. After months of investigating, authorities were finally able to formally file charges against Banta.
In a press release issued on June 9, 2025, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office shared that 38-year-old Banta was arrested on June 6. He faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence from PCSO. Additionally, he is facing a charge from the Texas Rangers for capital murder.
According to the release, the woman, who has not been identified, was in a relationship with Banta when she found out she was pregnant in September 2024. Banta reportedly offered to pay for her to have an abortion, suggesting they buy “Plan C” on the internet. She declined, telling him that she wanted to keep the pregnancy.
On October 17, 2024, the woman went for an ultrasound at approximately six weeks pregnant. There, she was told her baby had a strong heartbeat and good vitals. Her doctor deemed the pregnancy to be a healthy one.
Later that day, she met with Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County. She told police she believed he put the drugs in her drink during that meeting. Arrest documents obtained by KDFW say Banta gave her a drink he bought before she showed up, along with some homemade cookies. Police watched security footage that showed her drinking the drink, but not eating the cookies.
The next day, she began experiencing extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding, prompting a trip to the hospital. On October 19, 2024, she lost the pregnancy. She claims the loss was a direct result of being drugged by Banta.
Banta later met with police, telling them he knew it was in relation to the miscarriage. He also admitted to buying the Plan C pills online. Police took his phone as evidence. However, police say Banta, who works in the IT Department for the Department of Justice, accessed the phone remotely. He allegedly did a factory reset, wiping any relevant evidence.
Because of this, the investigation and charges took months, which is why he was only recently arrested and charged. The cases against Banta are still active, so not further information is available.
According to KDFW, Banta was released from the Parker County Jail after posting a $500,000 bond for the capital murder charge and a $20,000 bond for the tampering with evidence charge.
