A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) IT worker, Justin Anthony Banta, 38, was arrested in Parker/Tarrant County, Texas, and charged with capital murder for allegedly administering an abortion pill, called “Plan C,” to his pregnant girlfriend by secretly mixing it into her coffee.
In September 2024, the woman had discovered that she was pregnant. Banta had asked her to terminate the pregnancy, suggesting the use of the “Plan C” pill, also available online without a prescription. However, the woman had refused, determined to continue the pregnancy.
On October 17, 2024, during a follow-up gynecological ultrasound, the fetus was found to be healthy, with a regular heartbeat. On the same day, the two met at a coffee shop and, after a few sips, the woman suspected that the drink had been altered. The next day she manifested heavy bleeding, cramping and exhaustion. On October 19, she lost the fetus.
The woman reported the incident to the police, who immediately seized Banta’s phone. However, he managed to remotely reset it, erasing evidence potentially crucial to the investigation. For this he was also charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence.
The charge is particularly serious because, under Texas law, the intentional killing of a viable fetus can be considered capital murder.
Banta was arrested on June 6, 2025, and granted bail in the total amount of $520,000. The trial is still at an early stage: further evidence, testimony and forensic expertise remain to be revealed. If found guilty, he faces the death penalty, which is provided in Texas for this type of crime.
