News organizations from across the state of Arizona converged on the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office in Holbrook last week on Monday for a press conference that provided a somber look into the ongoing homicide investigation of a Pinetop woman. During the briefing. The conference highlighted the culmination of an intensive multi-state investigation into the death of 59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti, a mother of three and estranged wife who was fatally wounded at her family’s second home late last year.
Last week 63-year-old Michael Abatti of El Centro, California, entered a plea of not guilty in Navajo County Superior Court. Abatti was successfully extradited from the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office Jail in El Centro to Navajo County on Dec. 30. He is currently being held in the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Jail on a $5.5 million bond and faces a charge of first-degree murder, which is a class one felony under Arizona law.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:20 p.m. Nov. 20, when deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting near Bruin Way and Branding Iron Loop in Pinetop. Upon arrival, law enforcement found Kerri Ann Abatti suffering from a gunshot wound. She was immediately transported to Summit Regional Medical Center in Show Low, where she was pronounced dead.
Following the incident, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office launched an extensive investigation that soon focused on Southern California. Detectives worked with multiple police agencies in both Arizona and California to collect information and evidence. On Dec. 2, search warrants were served on various structures, properties, vehicles, and camp trailers associated with the Abatti family in El Centro, including Michael Abatti’s residence in the 1200 block of Aurora Drive. Investigators believe that Michael Abatti traveled from California to Pinetop on Nov. 20, specifically to kill the victim before immediately returning to his home state.
The evidence gathered during these searches led detectives to provide testimony to a Navajo County Grand Jury, which subsequently issued an indictment and an arrest warrant. Michael Abatti was taken into custody on Dec. 23, in El Centro. After the arrest, Sheriff Clouse expressed his appreciation for the collaborative effort of law enforcement partners. “We extend our sincere condolences to Kerri’s family and to all those affected by this tragedy,” Sheriff Clouse stated, adding that the Grand Jury’s decision was a vital step toward “helping to bring justice to the Abatti family.”
As the suspect awaits further legal action, a pretrial conference and release hearing have been scheduled March 17 in Navajo County Superior Court Division III before Judge Saline. Authorities emphasized that while the investigation has led to these charges, the indictment consists of allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
