Velma Ogden-Whitehead, 48; her son from a previous marriage, John Odgen, 18; and Ogden's friend, Wilson Sayachack, 17, conspired to kill Ron Whitehead on March 18, 2005, as he drove to work, prosecutors wrote. Each was charged with one count of first-degree murder Tuesday in King County Superior Court. Sayachack is charged as an adult.

Investigators said Sayachack hid in the trunk of Whitehead's car, crawled into the back seat and shot Whitehead in the head. Ogden, who was sitting in the passenger seat, helped to push Whitehead from the car, and Sayachack shot him three more times as he lay in the street near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, they said.

Velma Ogden-Whitehead paid Sayachack $1,000 to commit the killing, detectives wrote. They said her husband's death made her a millionaire: She sold two of his rental properties for $460,000, and Whitehead's life insurance, retirement accounts and benefits from The Boeing Co. totaled more than $650,000.

Ogden-Whitehead began spending the money on trips to Las Vegas and new cars, prosecutors wrote.

Investigators broke the case when they subpoenaed cell-phone records from the time of the killing, and saw that Sayachack and Ogden had exchanged 61 text messages. Ogden-Whitehead gave Sayachack the prepaid cell phone he used to communicate with Ogden, detectives said.

Ogden-Whitehead's lawyer, Jeff Cohen, said his client disputes the allegations and will plead not guilty. He also questioned what he called inconsistencies in the charging papers.

"It'd be nice if they could figure out their story and their theory of the case," Cohen said.

The three defendants are being held on $5 million bail pending arraignment on July 10. They could face 25 to 32 years in prison if convicted as charged.