BLOOMINGTON - Two days before he disappeared with his sons, Jack and Duncan Leichtenberg, Michael Connolly told a woman in an East Peoria casino that he intended to kill himself if he didn't hit it big. | Photo gallery: Boys mourned | Timeline | Video

McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery released a timeline Wednesday that detailed what police know about Connolly's activities between his visit to the casino March 6 and March 8, when he failed to return the boys to their mother, Amy Leichtenberg in LeRoy.

The boys and their father were found dead three weeks later in a remote area of Putnam County in what police consider a murder-homicide.

Emery did not criticize the work of LeRoy police who investigated the disappearance for about 18 hours before turning the case over to his office.

Leichtenberg has been critical of the 26-hour gap between when the boys were reported missing and the issuance of a nationwide Amber Alert. An effort by LeRoy police to secure an alert shortly before midnight March 8 was rejected because police did not indicate on the application that the children were in danger.

A second application made by Emery March 9 was accepted.

Emery declined to answer any questions related to LeRoy Police Chief Gordon Beck, who was recently placed on suspension for unspecified reasons.

The sheriff said it is impossible to know how long the boys were dead in the back seat of their father's car before the parked car was first seen March 14. The bodies were not found until March 29 when a man who periodically checks a nearby property approached the car he had seen two weeks earlier.

What is certain, said Emery, is who is responsible for the boys' deaths.

"There is one person responsible for this horrific crime and that person is Michael Connolly. It's sad; it hurts to this day. I say that because there were two young boys who were the victims of circumstances," said Emery.

Connolly, 40, of Bloomington was found hanged about 60 yards from the car.

The last contact Connolly had with anyone was about 7:30 p.m. March 7 when he left a voice message with Michelle Johnson, a friend of Amy Leichtenberg. The sheriff said he believes Connolly may have left his cell phone behind in his apartment to keep police from tracking his whereabouts by using cell phone towers to determine his location.

With the coroner's reports complete - Jack died from a stab wound and Duncan from an overdose of prescription medication - Emery said the police investigation is closed.

A spokeswoman for Leichtenberg said Wednesday questions still remains unanswered about the case, including why Judge James Souk allowed Connolly to have unsupervised visitation with the children. Kathy Michel of Bloomington said Leichtenberg intends to continue her efforts to change state laws regarding visitation and delays in the issuance of Amber Alerts.