Farming mogul charged with murder after estranged wife shot to death, deputies say

PINETOP, Ariz. (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities say a California farming tycoon has been charged with murder a month after his estranged wife was found shot to death at her Arizona home.

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 63-year-old Michael Abatti, from El Centro, California, in connection with the death of 59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti, whom deputies say was shot and killed Nov. 20 at her home in Pinetop, Arizona.

Investigators searched properties, vehicles and trailers connected with the Abatti family on Dec. 2 in El Centro.

As the investigation continued, deputies say information and evidence led them to believe Michael Abatti traveled from California to Arizona, shot and killed his estranged wife and then immediately went back to California on Nov. 20.

A Navajo County grand jury indicted Michael Abatti on Tuesday, and deputies got an arrest warrant for him. He was taken into custody in El Centro around 3:30 p.m. He was booked into a California jail on a first-degree murder charge and is awaiting extradition back to Arizona.

“We extend our sincere condolences to Kerri’s family and to all those affected by this tragedy,” said Navajo County Sheriff David M. Clouse in a written statement. “The Sheriff’s Office would also like to recognize the men and women who served on the Grand Jury who heard the evidence and concluded that an indictment was appropriate in this case, helping to bring justice to the Abatti family.”

Michael Abatti comes from a long line of farmers, and the family name is tied to farming enterprises, scholarship funds and leadership in local boards and groups, according to The Associated Press. He and Kerri Abatti were married in 1992 and split up in 2023. The victim filed for divorce in proceedings that were pending in California at the time of her death.