A California farming tycoon accused of killing his beauty queen wife tried to commit suicide and was the sole heir to the couple’s $200 million trust, according to new court documents.
Michael Abatti, 63, has been charged with shooting Kerri Ann Abatti, 59, in the head with a high-powered rifle at their remote cabin in Pinetop, Arizona, last November.
The couple was in the middle of a bitter multi-million dollar divorce. New filings unsealed by Los Angeles Times lawyers reveal Abatti tried to kill himself after the attack.
Imperial County Sheriff’s Officers were notified of Michael’s suicide attempt at his farm in El Centro on November 23, according to the affidavit. Abatti was the one who called 911.
The document goes on to say he told responders “he attempted to kill himself because of an incident involving his wife.” He went on to say his kids were “going through stuff.”, according to the filings.
Also revealed, the couple held a trust worth $200 million, Abatti was the sole heir if Keri died, the documents said.
Kerri Ann was found by her nephew on the floor of her $1.6 million Arizona mansion, unconscious and with a bullet wound in her head, according to an autopsy report.
He told investigators he heard a loud sound before finding her fatally wounded in the house, according to the autopsy report.
When investigators searched the home, they discovered a “circular defect” on a window and noted “a gunshot likely originated from the yard outside the home,” the report said.
Abatti allegedly drove all the way from California to shoot his wife and then drove back. License plate readers noted a Ford truck belonging to Abatti was “showing a pattern of travel” between the two states on the night of the killing according to the affidavit.
The farming tycoon was arrested in Imperial Valley, California, about a month after his wife’s murder and extradited to Arizona. He was being held on a $5.5 million bond.
His lawyer Owen Roth told the Post at the time of his extradition that his client is “very wealthy” but would not confirm if he plans to bail himself out.
“The terms are standard. He needs to meet the financial requirements, reside in California, surrender his passport, and have the ability to travel to Arizona for court,” Roth said.
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