Plea in Navajo County after extradition
A prominent California farmer has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the shooting death of his estranged wife in eastern Arizona, The Associated Press reported. Michael Abatti, 63, entered the plea Wednesday in Navajo County Superior Court after being extradited from El Centro, California.
Prosecutors say Abatti is being held in the Navajo County jail on a $5.5 million bond, while his attorney, Owen Roth, said the defendant is able to post bond. Abatti made his first appearance after his transfer from California to Arizona, AP said.
Allegations tied to Nov. 20 trip to Pinetop
Investigators said Abatti traveled from El Centro to Pinetop on Nov. 20, carried out the killing, and returned to California early the next morning, according to the AP report. The victim, Kerri Ann Abatti, was found dead at a home in Pinetop, where she moved after splitting with her husband.
AP said Kerri Abatti had filed for divorce, with proceedings pending in California at the time of her death. The couple married in 1992 and had three children, and they split in 2023 while fighting over finances in the divorce proceedings, AP added.
Background on Abatti and Pinetop
The AP report described Kerri Abatti as a descendant of early Latter-day Saints settlers who helped found Pinetop in the 1880s. It also said Abatti comes from a long line of farmers in the crop-rich Imperial Valley, the biggest user of Colorado River water, known for growing leafy greens, melons and forage crops.
AP said Abatti’s grandfather was an Italian immigrant and that his father helped start the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.