North Texas man charged with capital murder in girlfriend’s forced abortion case

Justin Anthony Banta, 38, was arrested Friday following a months-long investigation, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. He also faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence.

Justin Anthony Banta, 38 (Source: Parker County Sheriff’s Office)

Timeline:

According to the victim, she had a sonogram on Oct. 17, 2024, which confirmed the fetus was healthy with a strong heartbeat. Later that day, she met Banta at a coffee shop in Benbrook. The victim later told investigators she suspected Banta had slipped the pills into her drink during that meeting.

The following day, she began experiencing extreme fatigue and heavy bleeding, prompting a visit to an emergency room. She lost the fetus on Oct. 19, 2024, which she believed was a direct result of the drugs.

During the investigation, authorities collected Banta’s cell phone as evidence. Investigators believe Banta, who works in the IT Department of the U.S. Department of Justice, remotely accessed the phone and performed a factory reset, deleting crucial evidence.

Banta was released on Friday after posting a $500,000 bond for the capital murder charge and a $20,000 bond for the tampering with evidence charge.

Sheriff Authier says the Texas Rangers, Benbrook Police, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Digital Forensic and Technical Services, the U.S. Secret Service, the Regional Organized Crime Information Center and the FBI assisted in the case. 

Attorney Russell Wilson, who has no involvement in the case, talked about the kinds of evidence that could be involved in the case.