The Lancaster County coroner this week will perform an autopsy on the remains of 35-year-old David Blodgett, despite an ongoing row sparked by the donation of the man's organs.

If investigators can determine Blodgett's death on Thanksgiving Day was related to a gunshot wound he suffered in June, four men accused in the attack could face homicide charges.

Meanwhile, a dispute about how Blodgett's organs were harvested after his death — a situation complicating efforts to examine the body — continued to unfold Monday.

Blodgett's wife, Amy, stood by the version of events she told the Intelligencer Journal Sunday, saying she did not give permission to Gift of Life Donor Program to take her husband's heart, kidneys and other organs.

"His organs were no good, no how," she said. "I said, 'No.' "

However, Lancaster County Coroner Dr. G. Gary Kirchner said he and Mrs. Blodgett did give their consent Thanksgiving Day for the organs to be removed and donated.

"Gift of Life has the wife on tape giving permission," Kirchner said. "Gift of Life has Dr. Kirchner, the coroner, on tape."

Lancaster County District Attorney Donald Totaro criticized Kirchner Monday for not performing an autopsy immediately and for not stopping the organ donation.

"If Dr. Kirchner had recognized that Mr. Blodgett was a gunshot-wound victim and contacted me with this information (about his death), I would have immediately requested an autopsy to determine if Mr. Blodgett's death was caused by the initial gunshot wound," Totaro said. "In any suspicious or unusual death, law-enforcement officers depend on an autopsy to assist in determining the cause or the manner of death."

Gift of Life handles organ and tissue donations in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. The organization's president and chief executive officer, Howard Nathan, declined to comment Monday about Blodgett's case, citing privacy issues.

"I can only tell you that in all cases, we only remove what's authorized by the next of kin," Nathan said. "We have pretty clear documentation in every case. This case is no different."

Both Blodgetts suffered gunshot wounds June 21, seven hours after they were married. The attack came during a wedding reception at their Old Dorwart Street home.

Edward L. Smith, 25, Benjamin Santiago, 22, Carlos Delgado, 20, and David M. Smith Jr., 20, are charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other charges. Police said the four shot the Blodgetts, mistakenly believing one of them owed drug money.

David Blodgett took 100 milligrams of morphine twice daily for pain caused by a bullet wound to the hip. The bullet was never removed.

He suffered a heart attack and collapsed at his home Nov. 20, and he died at Lancaster General Hospital three days later. Mrs. Blodgett said the death certificate lists heart, respiratory and kidney failure and accidental morphine overdose as the causes of her husband's death.

Mrs. Blodgett said Gift of Life had her permission to remove tissue from David's arms and legs and also to take his corneas, but not his organs. A nurse was by her side when she talked to Gift of Life over the phone, she said.

Kirchner Sunday said he was informed of Blodgett's death by a news reporter, but Monday acknowledged Gift of Life told him about the death on Thanksgiving.

Because Blodgett's death resulted from a heart attack, Kirchner said, there would be no reason for an autopsy, and he gave consent for the organs to be harvested.

"I do not consider that to be a mistake," he said. "The coroner did not make a mistake. The coroner simply did not remember a gunshot wound in June. What the hell? I don't remember everything that has happened. And no, I didn't put two and two together, no. That's not a mistake, and that's not a fault ... .

"There were no circumstances presented that would have made it a coroner's case."

Totaro said Kirchner could have called for an autopsy. The decision not to, he said, has the "potential to compromise relevant evidence. This body was clearly disturbed through the harvesting of the organs."

Kirchner said Monday city police requested an autopsy if all parts of Blodgett could be recovered. Gift of Life said it will return Blodgett's blood today and his heart by Wednesday, the coroner said.

"Now it's a whole new ballgame," the coroner said.

E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com