California
Wife of Southern California farming magnate shot dead amid ongoing divorce
Investigators out of Navajo County, Arizona, served multiple search warrants at a Southern Californian farming magnate’s home and Imperial Valley properties in connection with the deadly shooting of his wife late last month.
Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, was found dead from a fatal gunshot wound on Nov. 20 at around 9 p.m. in the couple’s affluent Pinetop, Arizona home, according to a news release from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.
The 59-year-old, who is reportedly from Pinetop, had been living separately from her husband, Mike Abatti, during the couple’s ongoing divorce proceeding, which began in October 2023 when she petitioned to dissolve the 31-year marriage, citing irreconcilable differences, the Los Angeles Times reported.
While she was seeking $30,000 a month in spousal support, the court awarded her $6,400 a month in temporary support as the value of the couple’s vast income from farming and other services, as well as real-estate holdings in California, Wyoming and Arizona, were being assessed by experts, court filings showed.
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Investigators from Navajo County in Arizona, executed multiple search warrants including at a personal residence in the 1200 block of Aurora Drive in El Centro in connection with the shooting death of Kerri Ann Abatti on Nov. 20, 2025. (Google Maps) -
Imperial Valley, CA – September 24: An aerial view of alfalfa fields left dry near Calipatria. Imperial Valley farmers have been temporarily leaving hay fields dry as part of a federally funded program that is securing water to boost reservoir levels on the Colorado River. Photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. Many Imperial Valley farmers are voluntarily participating in a multimillion dollar Colorado River deal in which the federal government that is paying farmers in the Imperial Valley to leave their hay fields dry during part of the year in exchange for payments. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Authorities said a search warrant was executed at Mike Abatti’s personal residence in El Centro, where Mike Abatti Farms is based, as well as multiple structures, two camp trailers and two vehicles associated with the Abatti family’s business operations.
The Abatti family, according to The Times, owns and operates some of the largest farming operations in the Imperial Valley, where they grow cantaloupe, lettuce, broccoli, sugarbeets, onions and hay.
The couple had donated more than $50,000 to San Diego State University, where a scholarship is offered in their name.
According to the Desert Sun, Mike Abatti has been rewarded millions of dollars in publicly funded energy contracts and is well-connected with ties to family and friends in elected office, including a judge and district attorney, who have repeatedly made “decisions that have advanced Abatti’s private interests.”
Very few details about Kerri Ann Abatti’s homicide have been released by investigators, nor has a suspect been named in the case.
“These warrants were obtained and executed based on the results of the ongoing homicide investigation and evidence developed by detectives,” Navajo County investigators said. “This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Further information will be released when appropriate and when it will not compromise the integrity of the case.”