A California agriculture executive has been charged in the fatal shooting of his estranged wife in Arizona, court filings made public this week show. The newly unsealed documents lay out a timeline investigators say connects the suspect to the scene and underscore a bitter divorce dispute that involved a multi‑million dollar trust.
Prosecutors accuse 63‑year‑old Michael Abatti of traveling to Pinetop, Arizona, in November and fatally shooting 59‑year‑old Kerri Ann Abatti outside her vacation home. The affidavit, released after a hearing to unseal records, describes vehicle tracking data, witness statements and a police dog’s detection that together form the backbone of the case.
What investigators say the evidence shows
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- Relatives say Michael Abatti told them he was on a hunting trip in the desert on the afternoon of the killing, and could not be located when family members called to report the shooting, according to the affidavit.
- Automated camera systems captured a pickup registered to Abatti leaving his usual California hunting area around 1:30 p.m.; the same vehicle was recorded in Globe, Arizona, roughly five hours later.
- Deputies responding to a 9:20 p.m. call found Kerri Ann Abatti dead from a gunshot wound inside the home. A relative living at the property reported hearing a single loud noise and then discovering her injured in the dining room.
- Police found no gun inside the residence but located a bullet hole in a dining room window and a scent trail about 30 yards from the house picked up by a detection dog — findings officers say are consistent with a shot fired from outside using a high-powered rifle.
- License plate readers later logged Abatti’s truck back in Globe at 11:41 p.m., and again at his California hunting grounds in the early morning hours, suggesting an immediate return trip.
Authorities say Abatti drove between states and returned to California the same night. Emergency medical responders who encountered him after he called 911 reported that he told them he had tried to take his own life following an incident involving his wife, according to the filings.
Legal and financial context
The couple had separated in 2023 and were in the midst of divorce proceedings when Kerri Ann Abatti was killed. Court documents in the divorce dispute referenced a substantial family trust, and reports indicate disagreements over spousal support and financial obligations.
Kerri Ann wrote in filing materials that she was straining financially while maintaining the Arizona property, and sought a significantly larger monthly payment than the $5,000 Michael Abatti initially offered. Abatti cited poor harvest years as a reason he could not meet her requested increase; he later agreed to raise the payment to $6,400 per month.
The family’s public profile is notable: married in 1992, the Abattis had three children, owned multiple properties across several states and overseas, and ran an established agricultural business in El Centro, California, that the company describes as having deep local roots.
Prosecution and next steps
Michael Abatti is charged with first-degree murder. The unsealed affidavit is part of an ongoing criminal case; prosecutors will present this and other evidence as the case moves forward. No trial date has been announced publicly.
For readers following developments, the case highlights how domestic and financial disputes can surface in criminal proceedings, and how modern investigative tools — such as automated plate readers and canine units — are increasingly central to establishing timelines in cross‑jurisdictional incidents.
Reporting for this story relied on court filings made public this week and law enforcement statements contained in the affidavit.
