AP

ELIZABETH, New Jersey (AP) — A man who gained Internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the beating death of an elderly New Jersey man last year.

The Star-Ledger reports 24-year-old Caleb McGillivary remained silent Monday while his public defender entered the plea in court in Elizabeth.

McGillivary is accused of killing 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy, whose body was found May 13 in his Clark home. McGillivary was arrested in Philadelphia days later and could face a life sentence if he's convicted.

Authorities say the two met in New York City and McGillivary stayed at Galfy's home.

The Canadian gained some online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in which he described using a hatchet to fend off a further attack.