A well-known farmer from California has entered a plea of not guilty to a murder charge following the fatal shooting of his estranged wife at her residence in a mountain town in eastern Arizona.

Michael Abatti, aged 63, appeared in Navajo County Superior Court on Wednesday. This comes after his extradition from El Centro, California, where he was apprehended in connection with the death of Kerri Ann Abatti. She was discovered deceased at her Pinetop, Arizona home, where she had relocated after the couple’s separation.

Prosecutors have confirmed that Michael Abatti is currently detained in the Navajo County jail with a bond set at $5.5 million. However, his attorney, Owen Roth, has indicated that Abatti possesses the means to post bond.

According to investigators, Michael Abatti journeyed from El Centro to Pinetop on November 20, committed the murder, and then swiftly returned to California the following morning.

Kerri Ann Abatti, who was descended from early Latter-day Saints settlers instrumental in establishing Pinetop in the 1880s, had initiated divorce proceedings, which were ongoing in California at the time of her passing.

Michael Abatti comes from a long line of farmers in the crop-rich Imperial Valley, which is the biggest user of Colorado River water and known for growing leafy greens, melons and forage crops. His grandfather, an Italian immigrant, was among the region’s early settlers and his father helped start the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.

The couple, who married in 1992 and had three children, split in 2023 and were sparring over finances in their divorce proceedings.