>> reporter: as we hang up, michael shannon is still not 100% sure. later, nermeen khalifa sent an e-mail to cnn claiming the boys in the images are not her sons. but she refused to give us any pictures. in a phone call to a cnn producer she threatened to sue if these pictures we took were broadcast. when asked why she would consider a lawsuit if the photos were not of her sons, she didn't answer. through it all, michael shannon cannot pull himself away. >> that's definitely not an egyptian boy. that could be adam. >> what's going through your head right now, seeing these pictures? >> what? why -- why ys-- why did it take1 ars for one photograph?