Bond was denied Thursday morning for a Clyo man facing a murder charge for the Wednesday morning death of his cousin.

Darrell Lovett, 51, has been charged with murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery stemming from the beating death of Arthur Scruggs, 63.

According to Effingham County Sheriff’s Office reports, deputies were called at approximately 8 a.m. to a residence in the 200 block of Sam Smart Road on a report of an assault.

Deputies found Scruggs inside the residence.

Scruggs was taken to the Effingham Hospital emergency room, where he was pronounced dead.

Deputies arrested Lovett and charged him with murder.

“He beat (Scruggs) multiple times about the head with a shovel,” said ECSO spokesman Detective David Ehsanipoor.

Initial reports indicated the two men were cousins, and Scruggs temporarily was staying at the home. The two men may have gotten into an argument, investigators said.

 “After the verbal argument, Lovett went and got the shovel,” Ehsanipoor said. “It’s too early to speculate what they were arguing about.”

Detectives have been interviewing witnesses, and Lovett was arrested shortly after deputies arrived on the scene.

An elderly woman who lived in the house died of natural causes earlier that morning.

“A few hours later, we received a call on an assault,” Ehsanipoor said.

This homicide remains under investigation by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division. An autopsy was performed Thursday at the GBI Crime Lab in Savannah.