Authorities in the United States have arrested a prominent California farmer in connection with the fatal shooting of his estranged wife at her family's holiday home in Arizona, with a protracted and bitter divorce cited as a central element of the case.
Details of the Shooting and Arrest
Michael Abatti, aged 63, was taken into custody last week in El Centro, California, following the death of 59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti. The shooting occurred at a property in Pinetop, eastern Arizona, where Kerri had relocated after the couple separated.
Investigators from the Navajo County Sheriff's Office stated that Michael Abatti travelled from his home in El Centro to Pinetop on 20 November. They allege he carried out the killing before returning to California in the early hours of the following morning. Details of what transpired in the house in the final days of Kerri Abatti's life have not been disclosed by officials.
A Divorce Case at the Heart of the Investigation
At a press conference on Monday 29 December, Sheriff David Clouse indicated that the couple's unresolved divorce arose consistently in interviews. "The only thing that's glaring that I think everybody already knows is there's a divorce in place and they weren't able to come to a resolution," Clouse said, while declining to confirm a specific motive.
Court documents reveal the divorce, filed by Kerri and still pending in California at the time of her death, was financially contentious. Kerri Abatti, a descendant of early settlers in Pinetop, described an affluent lifestyle during their marriage since 1992, involving international holidays, property in three states, and private schooling for their three children.
She had initially received temporary spousal support of $5,000 per month, later seeking an increase to maintain her standard of living and upkeep on the Arizona property, plus $100,000 for legal fees. Michael Abatti, despite citing reduced income from poor farming years, eventually agreed to raise payments to $6,400 monthly.
Legal Response and Family Background
One of Michael Abatti's attorneys, Owen Roth, said his client surrendered voluntarily, agreed to extradition to Arizona, and maintains his legal presumption of innocence. Roth highlighted his client's age, significant health issues, and requested privacy, stating the case "will be decided based on the evidence by a jury."
The Abatti family are well-known figures in California's Imperial Valley farming community. Michael Abatti's grandfather was an Italian immigrant among the region's early settlers, and his father helped found the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association. Michael himself served on the board of the influential Imperial Irrigation District from 2006 to 2010.
As part of the investigation, authorities searched Michael Abatti's home in far Southern California on 2 December. He remains in custody awaiting further proceedings.
