TMZ founder Harvey Levin says he was prepared to help pursue a lead connected to the disappearance and kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie by paying a ransom demanded by an anonymous party, but he alleges that the FBI did not engage with his outreach. In interviews, Levin says the mystery individual claimed to know the identities of Guthrie’s kidnappers and that the proposed payment involved a bitcoin ransom demand. He also asserts that he contacted the FBI to pursue the information but was “ghosted,” meaning he did not receive timely or substantive follow-up. Levin further claims that after his outreach, the FBI asked TMZ to stop its own investigation into the case. Separate reporting from an Indian outlet similarly describes Levin’s account, including that he was willing to pay the ransom figure and that he says the FBI requested that TMZ halt its efforts after initially ignoring his message. Both accounts attribute the details to Levin and describe his allegations rather than independently confirming the ransom demand or the identities purportedly known by the claimant.