Investigators say she hid the death of her 19-month-old son, DeVarion Montrell Gross. His body was discovered in a Garner townhouse on November 14.
Warrants released in the case last month showed the child's body was stuffed in a sealed bag and then put in a plastic container. Sheets were placed over the top of the bag, and then bleach was poured on the sheets to "mask the smell."
The container was found hidden in a closet.
Friday, detectives released a timeline of their investigation. It shows that McNeil told people the child was staying with someone else when in fact he was not.
"Beginning November 1, an individual close to the family began calling police with concerns about DeVarion's welfare after learning he had not been seen for an extended period of time. Garner Police opened an active investigation; however multiple efforts to meet with Ms. McNeil and DeVarion were unsuccessful," said Garner Police Chief Tom Moss.
Click here to see the timeline (.pdf)
A medical examiner's report shows the boy suffered physical abuse in the months before he died. It estimates he had been dead about six weeks when his body was found by McNeil's family who called 911.
Click here to listen to the 911 call
According to the timeline, the boy was last seen alive October 3.
