Texas – A Texas man was arrested earlier this week on serious charges related to the death of his former girIfriend’s unborn chiId. The Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that the 38-year-old defendant, J. Benta, faces capitaI murder and evidence tampering charges following a months-long investigation into the tragic case.
Texas authorities say the investigation began after the defendant’s former partner reported suspicious circumstances surrounding her pregnancy. She had insisted on continuing with the pregnancy, despite pressure from her then-partner, who allegedly wanted her to have an abortlon.
According to the sheriff’s office, the defendant deliberately slipped a piII used to terminate early pregnancies into the woman’s drink without her knowledge or consent. The ingestion of the drug led to the loss of the unborn child.
Law enforcement officials stated that the defendant’s actions were intentional, and he tried to cover up the crime by tampering with evidence. The exact methods used to tamper with evidence were not disclosed by authorities but are part of the ongoing investigation.
In Oct. last year, when the victim was approximately six weeks pregnant, she underwent a sonogram and was told by her doctor that the baby had a strong heartbeat, showed good vital signs, and appeared healthy, according to Sheriff Auther.
Later that same day, the victim met with the defendant for a coffee. During their meeting, she shared her suspicion that he had secretIy sIipped abortion-inducing piIIs into her drink without her knowledge or consent, the sheriff’s office stated.
The following day, the victim began experiencing fatigue and heavy bIeeding, prompting a visit to the emergency room. She told Texas authorities she lost the baby on October 19, a loss she believes was caused by the defendant secretIy giving her the piII after arranging the coffee shop meeting to discuss her pregnancy further.
According to the victim, during their meeting, the defendant had already purchased a drink for her, which she unknowingly consumed and which contained the abortion-inducing drug.
The couple had been dating for about one month when the victim discovered she was pregnant with Banta’s child.
