Texas DOJ Employee Accused of Secretly Giving Pregnant Girlfriend Abortion Drugs, Charged with Capital Murder

PARKER COUNTY, Texas — A Texas man who works for the U.S. Department of Justice is facing capital murder charges after authorities say he secretly gave abortion-inducing drugs to his pregnant girlfriend, leading to the death of their unborn child.

Justin Banta, 38, was arrested last Friday and charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence. According to court records, Banta had been dating the woman for approximately one month when the alleged incident occurred in October 2024.

The victim, who was six weeks pregnant at the time, told police she met Banta at a coffee shop to discuss the pregnancy. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Banta arriving early, pouring a substance into a light-colored drink, and stirring it with a straw. He then retrieved a plate of cookies from his vehicle, which were wrapped in clear plastic.

During the meeting, the woman informed Banta she intended to keep the baby. Two days later, she suffered a miscarriage. Medical records confirm the loss of pregnancy and show a healthy sonogram taken just days before the meeting.

The victim later told police she believed Banta had laced the food and drink with abortion-inducing drugs. Forensic tests confirmed the presence of mifepristone and misoprostol, medications commonly used for medical abortions, in the cookies she consumed.

Investigators allege Banta, who is married to another woman, had discussed the pregnancy with his wife and expressed a desire for the girlfriend to terminate it. Authorities say he purchased the drugs online and administered them without the victim’s knowledge or consent.

Police further allege that after his phone was confiscated during the investigation, Banta remotely accessed and erased data from the device.

Banta’s attorney, Michael Heiskell, maintains his client’s innocence, stating, “These charges that have been alleged by the investigative agencies and the officers are purely fictional at this point. This is a relationship gone bad, and I think the evidence will bear that out.”

Banta was released on bond the same day he was arrested. The case remains under investigation.