Latest news with #JustinAnthonyBanta
Perth Now
12-06-2025
- Perth Now
Murder charge after man spikes GF's drink with abortion drug
A man has been charged with capital murder after allegedly lacing his girlfriend's drink with an abortion drug at a coffee shop, because she refused to terminate her pregnancy. Detectives in the US state of Texas began an investigation into allegations made against Justin Anthony Banta after his girlfriend made a complaint to police following a miscarriage. Mr Banta was arrested and charged with murdering the unborn child after investigators felt they had gathered enough evidence to prove he poured the abortion drug, Plan C, into his former partner's a cup of coffee while meeting at a local store. The woman, whose name has not been released, was unaware of his actions, but later became suspicious after she experienced heavy bleeding soon after the meeting and had to rush to an urgent care facility. Days after her hospital visit the woman lost the baby, which doctors had described as being in perfect health, to a miscarriage. Prior to the incident, Mr Banta reportedly offered to provide money for the woman to have an abortion, which she refused, saying she wished to have the baby. A police statement said Mr Banta's former girlfriend was around six weeks pregnant. During a checkup with her doctor, she was told the baby had 'a strong heartbeat' and vital signs, according to the statement. 'Later that same day, the victim reported she met Banta at a coffee shop ... where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission,' the Parker County Sheriff's Office said. The woman also reportedly told police Mr Banta proposed they purchase some Plan C abortion drug online as he tried in vain to convince here to terminate the pregnancy. Mr Banta who was working in IT for the US Department of Justice at the time, is alleged to have accessed his phone remotely and performed a 'reset' following the events. He has been subsequently been charged with tampering with physical evidence. The state of Texas introduced a law in 2022 that carries civil and criminal penalties for those who perform abortions and has some of the strictest laws in the US around abortion. A law in 2021 also bans the termination of pregnancies after a baby's heartbeat is detected, but does make exceptions for medical emergencies.
American Military News
11-06-2025
- American Military News
Pic: DOJ worker allegedly spiked pregnant girlfriend's drink with abortion pill
An employee of the U.S. Department of Justice was recently charged with capital murder after allegedly spiking his pregnant girlfriend's drink with an abortion pill. In a press release on Facebook, the Parker County Sheriff's Office announced that the office's Criminal Investigations Division arrested 38-year-old Justin Anthony Banta, an employee of the Department of Justice's information technology department, on Friday as part of a 'capital murder investigation involving a pregnant woman.' 'The victim reported that her boyfriend intentionally added 'Plan C,' (commonly known as the abortion drug) to her drink in order to force her to have an abortion without her knowledge or consent,' the press release stated. According to the Parker County Sheriff's Office, the female victim reported in September of 2024 that she was in a 'romantic relationship' with Banta when she found out she was pregnant. After the victim told Banta that she was pregnant, the 38-year-old suspect offered to cover the cost of an abortion and proposed ordering the abortion drug online; however, the victim told Banta that she wanted to keep the baby. The press release explained that the victim had a sonogram on October 17 when she was roughly six weeks pregnant and was told by a doctor that her baby was healthy. READ MORE: Democrats block bill protecting babies born alive during failed abortions 'Later that same day, the victim reported she met Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission, while they were at a coffee shop,' the Parker County Sheriff's Office said. According to law enforcement officials, the victim started experiencing 'heavy bleeding' and 'extreme fatigue' just one day after meeting Banta at the coffee shop, forcing her to go to an emergency room. The victim told law enforcement officials that she lost her baby on October 17 and claimed that the loss of her baby was caused by abortion drugs Banta allegedly placed in her drink. The Parker County Sheriff's Office believes that Banta remotely accessed his cell phone, which was seized by law enforcement officials as evidence, and 'reset' the phone to delete 'crucial evidence related to the case.' According to the press release, law enforcement officials obtained a felony arrest warrant for the 38-year-old suspect and booked him into the Parker County Jail on Friday. Banta has been charged by the Texas Rangers for capital murder and by the Parker County Sheriff's Office for tampering with physical evidence. A picture of Banta has been shared on X, formerly Twitter. 🔎 Federal IT Employee Accused of Capital Murder After Allegedly Drugging Pregnant Girlfriend's Drink 💔 Parker County, TX – A months-long investigation has led to the arrest of 38-year-old Justin Anthony Banta, who is now facing capital murder charges after allegedly slipping… — Texan Report (@TexanReport) June 9, 2025
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Daily Record
Man charged with murder after slipping abortion drug in pregnant girlfriend's drink
Justin Anthony Banta's ex-partner experienced heavy bleeding and visited the emergency room, but lost her baby a few days later. A man has been charged with murder after he allegedly slipped an abortion drug into his pregnant girlfriend's coffee. Justin Anthony Banta was arrested on Friday after a months-long investigation into his former girlfriend's accusation that he gave her the Plan C pill, which is a known abortion drug, without her knowledge. Police in Texas say Banta's ex-partner said when she disclosed her pregnancy last year, he had offered to cover the cost of an abortion, but she told him she wanted desire to keep the baby. Police said after meeting with Mr Banta in a coffee shop, she experienced heavy bleeding and visited the emergency room, but lost her baby a few days later. The 38-year-old has now been charged with felonies for attempted capital murder and tampering with physical evidence and is awaiting prosecution, according to the Parker County Sheriff's Office. Police said Banta's former girlfriend was around six-weeks pregnant when she went for a check up with her doctor, who told her the baby was healthy and had "a strong heartbeat" and vital signs. "Later that same day, the victim reported she met Banta at a coffee shop... where she expressed her suspicion that Banta had secretly added abortion-inducing pills to her drink without her knowledge or permission," the sheriff's office said in a statement. Banta's former girlfriend also said he had suggested they buy the Plan C abortion drug online after she disclosed her pregnancy. 'The victim reported she lost her baby on October 19, which she believed was a result of the drugs Banta had previously placed in her drink at the coffee shop without her permission,' the Parker County Sheriff's Office said. Following an interview with Banta, police collected his mobile phone, but later discovered "crucial evidence relating to the case" was deleted, they said. Investigators said they believed Banta, who worked in IT at the US Department of Justice, later accessed his phone remotely and performed a "reset". Investigators had seized his cellphone as evidence. However, Parker County officials allege that Banta used his IT skills to remotely connect to his cellphone and force a 'reset' while it was in possession of local authorities and 'thereby deleting crucial evidence related to the case.' An arrest warrant for him was then obtained, and Banta was charged last week with capital murder and tampering with physical evidence. Police said the cases against Banta remains active and ongoing. Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the US, banning all abortions except in dire medical circumstances. The state introduced a law in 2022 that carries civil and criminal penalties for those who perform abortions. A law in 2021 also bans the termination of pregnancies after a baby's heartbeat is detected, but does make exceptions for medical emergencies. Banta was taken into custody last Friday. He was released later that day on bond set at $500,000 for the attempted murder charge and $20,000 for the charge of tampering with evidence, local jail records show.
Daily Mirror
11-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man 'slipped abortion drug into ex's coffee' then did 'sickening act' next
A man has been charged in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend's unborn child and for allegedly tampering with evidence. According to Parker County Jail records, Texas man Justin Anthony Banta faces charges of attempted capital murder and tampering with physical evidence. In a press release from the Parker County Sheriff's Office, officials stated that the U.S. Department of Justice IT worker's ex-girlfriend accused him of secretly putting abortion-inducing medication, known as 'Plan C', into her drink after unsuccessfully trying to convince her to terminate the pregnancy. The woman told investigators she and Banta were romantically involved in September when she discovered she was pregnant. Banta allegedly offered to pay for an abortion and suggested ordering Plan C pills online. However, she said she told Banta she intended to keep the baby. In October, the woman claimed she met Banta at a coffee shop in Tarrant County, where she suspected he had slipped abortion medication into her drink without her consent. The following day, she experienced fatigue and heavy bleeding and sought emergency medical care. Authorities reported that the woman lost her baby on October 19, and she believes the miscarriage was caused by the medication allegedly administered without her knowledge. During the investigation, officials seized Banta's phone, but alleged he remotely accessed the device and initiated a factory reset - erasing potentially critical evidence. Authorities then issued a warrant for his arrest on two felony charges. Banta was taken into custody last Friday and released the same day after posting bond—$500,000 (£370,537) for the attempted murder charge and $20,000 (£14,818.70) for evidence tampering, according to jail records. The Parker County Sheriff's Office said the case remains open and is pending prosecution, reports PEOPLE. In the UK, a 47-year-old woman who struggled with infertility was left devastated after her husband forced her to get an abortion. She met her husband whilst studying at university, and started trying for a baby just over a decade ago, after dedicating most of their time to their hotshot careers. Medically referred to as a geriatric pregnancy, women over the age of 35 are more likely to experience complications such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Not put off by their decreased odds and increased risk, the couple allegedly spent the next three years planning their social and work lives around the woman's 'fertile window each month' - but still couldn't get pregnant. In fact, doctors were believed to have said the couple had less than a five per cent chance of falling pregnant. "Even if we tried IVF using my eggs, that number was pushed up to just 9 per cent," the woman said, according to MailOnline. However, the couple were unable to access IVF on the NHS and were told using an egg donor would significantly increase their chances of having a baby. The woman claims she found a clinic in Ukraine that had 'no waiting lists for eggs' and could ensure the donor remained anonymous. She says it costs £4,000 including her flights, accommodation and medical treatment - a huge saving compared to UK facilities. "Two weeks later I took a test and, marvellously, it was positive. I was over the moon," the woman said. "But when I told [my husband] he seemed oddly withdrawn. I put it down to him working long hours and carried on getting excited, planning who to tell first." However, the excitement soon faded after the woman's eight-week scan when her husband allegedly dropped a huge bombshell. He allegedly said he was unsure if he could 'bond' with a child that isn't biologically both of them and said the anonymity of the egg donor made his 'skin crawl'. Then, the husband gave his wife the biggest ultimatum: keep the baby and we'll split. "While I wanted to be a mum, more than that I didn't want to live the rest of my life without him," she said. "I knew perfectly well we'd be over if I carried on. The prospect of bringing up a child on my own seemed bleak. "How would I do it? I've seen so many friends struggle as lone parents, hand on heart I couldn't knowingly do that to myself or my future child. And then there was the most dreaded thought: what if he left me for someone else and had children with her? It was as though a gun were being held to my head." A week later the woman says she terminated the pregnancy without her husband by her side, before taking a week off work to visit her mum in Spain. When she came home, the couple - who are still together - requested the remaining embryos in storage to be destroyed.
New York Post
11-06-2025
- New York Post
DOJ employee spiked happily pregnant girlfriend's coffee with abortion pills: sheriff
A United States Department of Justice employee secretly spiked his pregnant girlfriend's drink with an abortion drug to induce a miscarriage without her knowledge, according to cops. Justin Anthony Banta, 38, who works in the IT department of the DOJ, is charged with capital murder in Parker County, Texas, for allegedly putting 'Plan C' abortion drugs in his pregnant girlfriend's coffee, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Justin Banta, 38, identified as an IT specialist with the Department of Justice, allegedly spiked his girlfriend's coffee with 'Plan C' abortion pills. Parker County Sheriff's Office The couple found out about the pregnancy in September 2024, with the unidentified woman refusing the DOJ employee's offer to terminate the pregnancy with 'Plan C' pills he would purchase online, the statement said. Advertisement Banta's girlfriend was happily six-weeks pregnant when she had a sonogram on October 17 that revealed a strong heartbeat, and good vital signs, the Parker County Sheriff's Office revealed. Later that same day she met the IT specialist at a coffee shop — quickly suspecting that Banta had spiked her drink with the 'Plan C' abortion-inducing pills without her consent. The following day the woman went to the emergency room with extreme bleeding and lost the pregnancy, later reporting the incident to police. Advertisement Upon first hearing of the pregnancy, Banta immediately suggested that the couple pursue an abortion using pills he could purchase online, the sheriff's office alleged. AP Banta was interviewed by the PSCO and his phone was collected as evidence — but sheriff's deputies claim the DOJ IT specialist performed a remote 'reset' on the device preventing them from gathering crucial evidence, according to the statement. That alleged IT infraction garnered Banta a separate tampering with physical evidence charge PSCO in addition to the capital murder charge, filed in Tarrant County by the Texas Rangers. The Department of Justice did not respond to request for comment. It was not clear what sort of punishment Banta faces on the capitol murder charges.
