A U.S. Department of Justice employee has been charged with capital murder after his pregnant girlfriend suffered a miscarriage after he allegedly slipped abortion drugs into her drink, authorities say.
Justin Banta, 38, is facing an attempted capital murder charge and one count of tampering with evidence with intent to impair an investigation, according to a statement from the Parker County Sheriff’s Office in Texas.
Banta was booked into the Parker County Jail on Friday, with Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier stating that the case remains active as he awaits prosecution.
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Authorities say the suspect met with his girlfriend at a coffee shop in Tarrant County in October 2024, where he reportedly added Plan C abortion-inducing drugs to her drink. The woman, who was six weeks pregnant at the time, filed a police report after she lost the baby.
Investigators collected Banta’s phone as part of the proceedings and believe that Banta, who works in information technology for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, remotely reset his phone.
As a result of the reset, evidence relevant to the case was deleted from the device, according to investigators.
In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, BOP Director William K. Marshall III stated that employees “are held to the highest standards,” expressing respect for the hardworking men and women he described as the “backbone of the Bureau.”
“But those who abuse their position, who treat inmates or their fellow employees with anything less than the dignity and integrity I would expect my kids to be treated with, the type this profession demands — they are not BOP employees in my eyes,” Marshall continued. “By their actions, they have forfeited that title. When someone crosses that line, they are no longer upholding our mission — they’re undermining it.”
Citing his appointment to the position by President Donald Trump and his promise to lead with strength and integrity, Marshall said he understands such a mission “demands more than words — it demands action.”
“So, when I receive credible information that someone in this agency is engaging in misconduct — whether it’s abuse, corruption, or a failure to uphold the standards we live by — I will act,” he stated.
“I will use every authority, every tool, and every ounce of influence I have to ensure those individuals are held accountable — and will do so publicly to send a clear message — if you dishonor the uniform, you will be held accountable. Full stop.”
According to an affidavit shared by The Dallas Morning News on Monday, Banta and his girlfriend dated for a month before she discovered that she was pregnant. After learning about the pregnancy, Banta urged her to have an abortion, and he offered to purchase the abortion drugs online for her.
The pregnant woman made it clear to Banta that she intended to keep the baby. The woman was around six weeks pregnant when she went for a sonogram on Oct. 17, 2024, where doctors said her baby was healthy and had a “strong heartbeat.”
Later that same day, Banta met with his girlfriend at the coffee shop to discuss the pregnancy further, the affidavit says. The suspect ordered the pregnant woman a drink before she arrived, with surveillance footage reviewed later by investigators confirming that the victim consumed the beverage.
After the meeting, the woman went to the emergency room due to experiencing “extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding.” She suffered a miscarriage on Oct. 19, 2024, and later filed a report with Benbrook Police because she suspected that Banta had spiked her drink.
Banta’s attorney, Michael Heiskell, argued that his client is innocent and that the case is the result of a relationship that “went awry,” The Dallas Morning News noted.
“He is innocent of these accusations,” Heiskell said. “We intend to litigate this in court, and at the end of the day, we expect him to be exonerated of these charges and lies against him.”
Pro-life advocates and doctors have repeatedly warned that easy access to abortion drugs makes it easy for women to be drugged without their knowledge or consent.
Mason Herring, a Texas attorney, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years’ probation for slipping abortion drugs into the drinks of his wife, Catherine Herring, in March 2022 after she told him that she was pregnant.
In a March 2024 interview with CP, Herring confirmed that she had given birth to a baby girl, saying that her daughter is still alive but suffers from some developmental issues.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
