A California farming magnate from a prominent agricultural family has been arrested for the alleged murder of his estranged wife during a bitter divorce battle that exposed how foreign market shifts and government policies devastated American farmers.
Story Snapshot
- Michael Abatti, 63, arrested for first-degree murder in the shooting death of estranged wife Kerri Ann Abatti
- Victim found dead at Arizona vacation home after couple’s contentious divorce proceedings over finances
- The Abatti family represents a multi-generational American farming legacy in California’s Imperial Valley
- Financial disputes stemmed from European market shifts favoring Ukrainian farmers over American producers
Arrest and Murder Allegations
Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested this week in El Centro, California, on first-degree murder charges following a Navajo County grand jury indictment. Authorities believe Abatti drove to Arizona in November and fatally shot his estranged wife, Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, at her family’s vacation home in Pinetop before returning to California. The victim was discovered dead at the tree-shrouded mountain retreat where she had been living since their 2023 separation.
Imperial Valley farmer Mike Abatti arrested on suspicion of murdering his estranged wife, reports @susrust @ByIanJames https://t.co/FHToQ5BzuB
— Joe Serna, LAT (@JosephSerna) December 24, 2025
American Agricultural Heritage Under Strain
The Abatti family represents a classic American success story spanning generations of agricultural innovation and community leadership. Michael Abatti’s grandfather, an Italian immigrant, helped settle California’s Imperial Valley, while his father Ben co-founded the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association.
The family built their reputation growing onions, broccoli, and cantaloupes in the nation’s most water-intensive farming region. Michael served on the powerful Imperial Irrigation District board from 2006 to 2010, demonstrating the family’s commitment to agricultural stewardship and water resource management.
Financial Devastation from Foreign Market Interference
Court documents reveal how European policies prioritizing Ukrainian farmers over American producers devastated the Abatti farming operation. Michael testified that it cost $1,000 to grow an acre of wheat, which sold for only $700, resulting in unsustainable losses.
European shifts in crop-buying to support war-torn Ukraine, combined with rising shipping costs and severe weather, reduced his monthly farm income to $22,000 while the business struggled to pay creditors.
This economic warfare against American agriculture directly contributed to the family’s financial strain and bitter divorce proceedings.
Divorce Battle Exposes Broader Economic Crisis
Kerri Abatti’s request to increase spousal support from $5,000 to $30,000 per month highlighted how global market manipulation had destroyed the family’s upper-class lifestyle built over three decades. The couple previously owned properties in California, Arizona, and Wyoming, vacationed internationally, and sent children to private schools.
After dedicating herself to raising three children and managing family operations since 1999, Kerri found herself “barely scraping by” on a rural Arizona property with a failing 2011 vehicle.
The financial destruction of this successful farming family exemplifies how globalist policies prioritize foreign interests over hardworking American producers who built our nation’s agricultural foundation.
