CNN’s Michael Smerconish voiced skepticism that TMZ’s Harvey Levin has been dealing with a legitimate source on the Nancy Guthrie’s case.

TMZ reported receiving a new email from the mysterious source on Friday, claiming to have video of the suspects who snatched the 84-year-old mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie from her Arizona home in February.

The FBI and local authorities have been unable to make headway in the case, despite finding physical evidence and doorbell video of one of at least one possible suspect.

“I know the FBI, because we’re in touch with them, that they have been trying to figure out who this guy is, and they’ve been spending a lot of time on it. And they think that they’re making headway. They told me that this week,” Levin said on Saturday’s Smerconish.

“So I’m trying to think, on the one hand, if they think this guy is just a jerk who’s trying to scam money, why are they spending all this time? On the other hand, if he’s legit, why didn’t they pay the one Bitcoin he’s asking, which is around $60,000, to lead them to the kidnappers and possibly Nancy Guthrie?”

Levin continued:

This is where it gets interesting. He says — and he has not said this to us before — he says that he will hand them basically on a silver platter, evidence. He specifically says that he has, quote, “A short video of the main guy with Nancy the day that was probably her last.” And then he goes on to say that he has the phone with that video in a safe location, the phone is turned off. In return for the Bitcoin, he will lead them to the phone, give them the password that will then let them look at the video as well as the addresses of the two people he says are the kidnapers.

“Harvey it doesn’t pass the smell test here in Philly,” Smerconish said. “It sounds to me like extortion because, if I’m this guy and I have this information, I’m going to give it to Harvey Levin and let you be the go-between. Because correct me if I’m wrong, there’s a reward out there.”

“There’s a reward out there, but he seems more focused, Michael, on the Bitcoin than he does on the reward. He’s really not mentioning the reward,” Levin said. “So, look, I can’t tell you this is real, but frankly, I’m just confused by the reaction that authorities have gotten here, which is, if he’s a fraudster, just ignore him. But they’re spending time trying to figure out who this guy is.”

“Yeah, that kind of bums me out because it makes me wonder if they’ve got nothing else,” Smerconish said.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!