The nephew of Will Cierzan, a Valencia resident missing since 2017, has pled not guilty to murder on Friday, officials said.

Daniel Cierzan, 24, of Saugus, pled not guilty to one count of murder for allegedly killing his uncle Will, according to Ricardo Santiago, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

“He allegedly disposed of his uncle’s body, which has not been found,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. 

At around 4 a.m. on July 31, Cierzan was arrested for murder by the Surveillance and Apprehension Team of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Daniel Cierzan had previously been named as a person of interest in his uncle’s disappearance in May 2017, when detectives revealed that they suspected an assault occurred within the Cierzan home.

William Cierzan, 58, of Valencia, disappeared from his home on the 26000 block of Cuatro Milpas Drive on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.

See Related: Nephew Of Missing Person Will Cierzan Arrested For Murder

Blood found outside and inside the home came back as a match to William Cierzan, according to homicide detectives at the time.

Detective Ralph Hernandez of the LASD Homicide Bureau indicated at the time that Daniel Cierzan was a person of interest as he is suspected to be the last known contact with Cierzan before the Valencia man’s disappearance.

Surveillance video shows a car matching the relative’s description leaving the house that same day, and investigators are currently working to enhance the video.

If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.

Daniel Cierzan is set to return to court on Jan. 21 for a preliminary hearing setting. 

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