COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tyler Thomas, a 39-year-old Columbus man accused in the disappearance and death of Indiana teenager Hailey Buzbee, pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court. His attorney, Sam Shamansky, entered the plea at an arraignment; Thomas waived his right to attend in person. A federal grand jury indicted Thomas on Sept. 23 on nine counts connected to Buzbee’s death. The charges include kidnapping resulting in death, attempted enticement of a minor, offenses involving the transportation of a minor for sexual activity, sexual exploitation of a minor, obstruction of justice and accessing child sexual abuse material. Some charges are punishable by death. Buzbee, 17, was reported missing from her home in Fortville, Indiana, on Jan. 6. Her remains were found Feb. 1 near a trailhead in Wayne National Forest in Perry County, Ohio. The indictment alleges that Thomas killed Buzbee and tried to obstruct the investigation by dismembering and burying her body. The allegations have not been proven in court. Investigators say neighborhood surveillance footage showed a dark SUV near Buzbee’s home around the time she disappeared, and court records connect the vehicle to Thomas. Phone records cited in the case allegedly show Thomas traveling from Columbus to Fortville overnight Jan. 5-6, then returning to Columbus and going to an Airbnb in Logan. Data from his cellphone placed it near the trailhead where Buzbee’s remains were later found on the morning of Jan. 7, where it remained for about five hours, according to the records. Court filings also say Thomas met Buzbee online and played video games with her. Prosecutors allege he tried to entice her into sexual activity beginning in May 2024, when she was 15. Investigators reported finding sexual images of Buzbee at Thomas’ residence and at the Airbnb, according to the filings.