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A prominent Southern California farming mogul is accused of traveling to Arizona to carry out the fatal shooting Of his estranged wife, who had filed for divorce two years ago.
Michael Abati was a member of an influential farming family in Imperial Valley, California. arrested on tuesday An Arizona grand jury indicted him on murder charges in the death of his wife of 31 years, Kerry Ann Abatti.
The 59-year-old mother of three was found dead on November 20 in the couple’s second home in Pinetop, a small community in the White Mountains of Arizona.
The couple separated in August 2023 and Michael Abati moved to El Centro, California, while Kerry Ann Abati moved into the Arizona home that her aging parents also owned. According to court records, she filed for divorce in October, citing irreconcilable differences.
Records revealed that the divorce proceedings had become contentious in the court and the process was becoming protracted. Los Angeles Times.
Records seen by the newspaper said Kerry Ann Abati accused her husband of hindering her efforts to understand the couple’s income and real estate holdings while he made changes to their finances without consulting her or their attorney.
She reportedly argued that she was “barely making ends meet” on the monthly spousal support from Michael Abati that was temporarily awarded to her by the court.
He is accused of traveling more than 400 miles to the home on 14 acres in Pinetop and shooting his estranged wife, who died en route to the hospital after being discovered by a relative, according to Chief Deputy Brian Swanty of the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.
The divorce was pending on the day he died.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that detectives executed a search warrant on Dec. 2 at properties and vehicles associated with the prominent farming Abbatti family in El Centro, where they found “a substantial amount of evidence” that led them to name Michael Abbatti as a suspect. statement,
“Detectives worked with multiple police agencies in the State of Arizona and the State of California to develop information and evidence leading to the belief that Michael Abatti traveled from the State of California to Pinetop, Arizona, on November 20, 2025, where he is believed to have shot and killed Kerry Ann Abatti and then immediately returned to California,” the statement said.
In high school, Kerry Ann Penrod was named prom queen, later named Miss Navajo County, and was a talented violinist.
After the birth of her second child, she left her job as an office manager to focus on raising children at home, but continued to work as a bookkeeper for Abatti Farms, LLC. Times,
According to a profile published in the newspaper, the Abati family enjoyed the high life. He reportedly vacationed in Europe and Hawaii with the children, traveling first class and staying in luxury five-star hotels. It is being told that all three children were in adolescence and all studied in a private school.
Kerry Ann Abati returned to her ancestral home and a strict religious community, Pinetop, in August 2023 to support her parents. Times,
Her family told the outlet that they don’t know what drove her to leave her husband.
Michael Abatti was booked into the Imperial County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Arizona.