A prominent California farmer has entered a not guilty plea to a murder charge following the shooting death of his estranged wife at her home in Arizona.
Not Guilty Plea Entered in Court
Michael Abatti, aged 63, appeared for the first time in Navajo County Superior Court on Wednesday 31 December 2025. He had been extradited from El Centro, California, where he was arrested on an Arizona warrant related to the killing of Kerri Ann Abatti. The victim was discovered deceased at her residence in Pinetop, an eastern Arizona mountain community where she had relocated after separating from her husband.
Details of the Alleged Crime and Background
Investigators state that Michael Abatti travelled from El Centro to Pinetop on 20 November, carried out the killing, and returned to California in the early hours of the following morning. Kerri Abatti had filed for divorce, with proceedings still pending in California at the time of her death. She was a descendant of early Latter-day Saints settlers who helped found Pinetop in the 1880s.
The couple married in 1992, had three children together, but separated in 2023. Their divorce proceedings were reportedly contentious, involving disputes over finances.
Legal Proceedings and Family Legacies
While prosecutors confirm Abatti is being held in Navajo County jail on a $5.5 million bond, one of his attorneys, Owen Roth, has indicated his client has the means to post it.
Michael Abatti hails from a well-known farming family in California's crop-rich Imperial Valley, the largest user of Colorado River water. The region is famed for producing leafy greens, melons and forage crops. His grandfather was an Italian immigrant among the area's early settlers, and his father helped establish the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.
