A prominent Imperial Valley farmer charged with killing his estranged wife was extradited to Arizona on Tuesday, where bail has been set at $5.5 million.
Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested on Dec. 23 for allegedly killing Kerri Ann Abatti, 59. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder on Wednesday in Navajo County Superior Court.
Once bail is posted, Abatti will be allowed to return to El Centro — where he lives and where he can receive ongoing medical treatments, according to his attorneys, Owen Roth and Danielle Iredale. He is required to surrender his passport, and will be allowed limited travel to Arizona and Wyoming, where the Abattis own property.
Kerri Abatti was shot in her home in the Arizona town of Pinetop-Lakeside at around 9 p.m. on Nov. 20, authorities say. An autopsy report shows she was shot once in the head. The shot came from outside her house and went through a window.
Her nephew found her after hearing a loud bang, and called 911, according to autopsy reports. She died while being taken to a hospital in Show Low, which is roughly 10 miles from Pinetop-Lakeside.
According to the couple’s divorce filings, the Abattis had been embroiled in a bitter feud about the amount of financial spousal support Kerri Abatti was owed following the separation. Kerri Abatti left her husband and their El Centro home in August 2023 after 31 years of marriage.
While he was on a fishing trip, she left for Pinetop-Lakeside, where the couple owned a 7,000 sq. ft. home on a 14-acre lot.
Kerri Abatti grew up in Pinetop-Lakeside; it is where her parents, siblings and extended family reside.
The couple have three adult children who live in California and Nevada.
Photos of Michael Abatti taken Wednesday in Navajo County show him shirtless and wearing a suicide vest.
His attorneys told The Times on Monday that he had surrendered to authorities in El Centro when he learned of the arrest warrant. He also waived his right to extradition.
At a press conference on Monday, Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse told reporters his detectives “had strong reason to believe that Mr. Abatti had traveled from El Centro, Calif., on Nov. 20 to Pinetop, Ariz., committed the homicide and traveled back to California.”
A pre-trial conference and release hearing is scheduled for March 17 in Navajo County.
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