Texas accuses man of murder by spiking drink with abortion drug

Authorities arrested Justin Anthony Banta on Friday after his former girlfriend accused him of spiking a drink with an abortion-inducing drug last year, according to a Monday release from the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. Banta’s charges include capital murder and tampering with evidence during a months-long investigation, according to Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier. Banta’s former girlfriend accused him of slipping the abortion-inducing Plan C drug into a drink of hers without her knowledge or consent, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.

How did the alleged crime unfold? Banta’s then-girlfriend, whose name police did not release, discovered she was pregnant in September. Banta offered to pay for an abortion and proposed ordering Plan C online, but his girlfriend wanted to keep the baby, according to police. The girlfriend received a sonogram in October when she was about 6 weeks pregnant, where the doctor had described both mother and baby as very healthy. Later that day, the girlfriend met Banta at a coffee shop in the Fort Worth area, where she later believed he slipped abortion-inducing drugs into her drink. The following day, Banta’s girlfriend went to the emergency room after experiencing heavy bleeding and major fatigue. She lost the baby two days after both the healthy doctor’s report and having coffee with Banta, the police reported.

Where does the evidence tampering come in? Authorities interviewed Banta and collected his cell phone as evidence. After examining the phone, investigators believed that Banta, an IT worker for the U.S. Department of Justice, had remotely reset his phone to destroy case evidence. Banta's attorney, Michael Heiskell, claimed that the current charges are the result of a failed romantic relationship. Banta is innocent, and he will be exonerated from all charges against him in the courtroom, he told The Dallas Morning News.

The 38-year-old was arrested Friday on capital murder charges brought by the Texas Rangers and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. Banta was released on Friday with a recommended bond of over $500,000, county prison records show. The case against Banta remains active and now awaits prosecution, so no further details will be released to the public, Authier said.