PINETOP, Ariz. — Newly released autopsy information is providing additional details about the November 2025 shooting death of 59-year-old Kerri Ann Abatti inside her Pinetop home, while previously unsealed court records reveal more about the evidence investigators say led them to her estranged husband, Michael Abatti.
The Coconino County Health and Human Services Medical Examiner’s Office determined Kerri Abatti died from a gunshot wound to the head after she was shot on the night of Nov. 20, 2025.
According to the medical examiner’s investigative report, Abatti’s nephew heard a loud sound and subsequently found her unconscious on the floor near the kitchen. She was bleeding from the head and face.
Investigators examining the residence found what was described as a circular defect in a window near where Abatti was discovered. Investigative information contained in the medical examiner’s report states that the gunshot likely originated from the yard outside the home.
First responders attempted to resuscitate Abatti before she was transported for emergency medical treatment. She later died from her injuries.
Previously unsealed search-warrant affidavits provide additional details about how law enforcement reconstructed the shooting.
According to those court records, investigators believed the fatal round was fired from what they described as a higher-powered rifle. The following day, a firearm-detection dog searching the property alerted investigators to a possible location approximately 30 yards from the residence.
The alert does not establish that the shooter was standing precisely 30 yards from the home, but identifies an area investigators considered potentially significant to the shooting.
Investigators also reported finding no firearm or expended cartridge casing at the immediate scene.
Investigators Track Truck Between California and Arizona
Search-warrant affidavits also describe license-plate-reader information investigators obtained concerning a 2017 Ford truck belonging to Michael Abatti.
According to the affidavit, the truck was recorded leaving the vicinity of Michael Abatti’s California hunting grounds at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 20.
The vehicle was subsequently recorded in Globe, Arizona, at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Kerri Abatti’s shooting was reported at approximately 9:19 p.m.
The truck was then recorded in Globe again at approximately 11:41 p.m. and near the California hunting area at approximately 4:40 a.m. the following morning, according to the affidavit.
The license-plate reader records what investigators reported about the vehicle’s movement. Those records alone do not establish who was driving the truck.
According to court documents, Michael Abatti’s family told investigators he was hunting in the desert at the time of Kerri’s death. Family members reportedly attempted to contact him that night to inform him of her death but were unable to reach him.
Investigators Examine Financial Issues
Court records also show investigators examined the Abattis’ pending divorce and substantial financial holdings as part of their investigation.
According to the search-warrant affidavit, Kerri and Michael Abatti were working through the division of their property. Investigators said Kerri wanted the Arizona residence while Michael would receive other properties.
Investigators estimated that differences in the value of those properties could have resulted in Michael owing Kerri approximately $10 million as part of the division.
The Arizona property reportedly was scheduled to be assessed two days after Kerri was killed.
Investigators also examined a family trust reportedly valued at approximately $200 million. According to the court documents, investigators believed provisions of the trust could financially benefit Michael following Kerri’s death.
Those financial circumstances are part of investigators’ examination of a possible motive. They are not, by themselves, proof that Michael Abatti committed the homicide.
Incident Three Days After Kerri’s Death
The affidavits also describe an incident involving Michael Abatti three days after the shooting.
According to court records, Imperial County authorities were notified that Michael had attempted suicide at his El Centro-area farm and called 911 himself.
Emergency personnel reported statements Michael allegedly made concerning his wife’s death and the effect the situation was having on his family.
Those statements are contained in investigative court records and have not been tested at trial.
Dozens of Firearms Seized
During subsequent searches of properties associated with Michael Abatti, authorities seized more than three dozen firearms, including more than two dozen rifles, according to search-warrant records.
Publicly available information does not establish that any of those firearms has been ballistically matched to the projectile that killed Kerri Abatti.
Several important forensic questions therefore remain publicly unanswered, including the caliber of the fatal projectile, whether a bullet or identifiable fragments were recovered during the autopsy, the precise trajectory of the projectile, and whether forensic testing has connected a particular firearm to the homicide.
Michael Abatti Pleads Not Guilty
Michael Abatti, 63, was arrested in December following a multi-agency investigation and was subsequently indicted on a charge of first-degree murder.
He has pleaded not guilty.
The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office has said investigators developed evidence leading them to believe Michael traveled from California to Pinetop on Nov. 20, killed his estranged wife and returned to California.
That remains the state’s allegation and has not been proven at trial.
Attorneys representing Michael Abatti have cautioned against treating allegations contained in search-warrant affidavits as established facts, describing such documents as “untested, one-sided presentations meant to establish probable cause.”
Michael Abatti is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
