Remains found on a beach in Washington in 2006 have been identified as belonging to Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher, a 72-year-old former mayor from Oregon, who disappeared during a crabbing trip that same year.
On September 5, 2006, Asher went missing during a crabbing expedition in Tillamook Bay, Oregon. He was declared legally dead, as it was presumed he had drowned. His skeletal remains were discovered two months later on a beach in Taholah, a village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington.
The identification of Asher was announced on January 13, 2026 by the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The identification was achieved through advanced DNA analysis performed by Othram, a Texas-based laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy.
Prior to the identification, the remains were known only as Grays Harbor County John Doe for nearly 20 years. Initial investigations determined that the remains were those of an adult male around five feet nine inches tall, weighing between 170 and 180 pounds, and likely aged between 20 and 60 years.
The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, but traditional investigative methods failed to establish the man’s identity. The remains were in an advanced state of decomposition when found.
In 2025, the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office collaborated with the King County Medical Examiner’s Office to send forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Scientists at the laboratory were able to develop a DNA extract from the evidence and used forensic-grade genome sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile.
The laboratory’s forensic genetic genealogy team performed a genetic genealogy search using the DNA profile, generating fresh investigative leads that were relayed back to law enforcement. These leads assisted investigators in locating potential relatives of the unidentified man.
After reaching out to family members and collecting reference DNA samples from a relative, a positive match was found when compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified remains, thus confirming the identity as Asher.
Asher, born in Salem, Oregon, on April 2, 1934, grew up in Astoria before moving to Fossil, Oregon, in 1952. He worked as a lineman technician for the Fossil Telephone Company until his retirement in 1995.
In 1965, Asher established Asher’s Variety Store in Fossil. He served as the town’s mayor and was actively involved in community service. He volunteered as a local fireman and ambulance driver, serving on both the ambulance and museum boards.
Asher’s wife informed the Coast Guard that her husband did not usually wear a life vest while out on the bay and was unable to swim, leading investigators to infer he had drowned. Authorities believed he fell overboard, and the Coast Guard called off its search after 11 hours.
The location where his remains were found is approximately 185 miles north of Tillamook Bay. It is speculated that ocean currents and tides likely carried the remains along the coastal region.
Asher’s wife, Helen, survived him by 12 years, passing away in 2018 at the age of 85. The couple married on March 15, 1986, in Condon, Oregon. Helen had been previously widowed in 1980 after 28 years of marriage to her first husband, Joseph Neys, whom she married in 1952.
At the time of his death, Asher left behind his wife, three children, two stepsons, 21 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. He had a passion for his family, antique cars, fishing, boating, hunting, black Labrador retrievers, cooking, and recreational vehicle travel.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and the Washington State Legislature provided crucial funding for the forensic genetic genealogy testing involved in this case.
This case represents the 43rd successful identification in Washington using technology developed by Othram. The laboratory has played an increasingly important role in resolving cold cases involving unidentified remains throughout the United States.
The identification of Asher, 19 years after the initial discovery of the remains, underscores the importance of preserving forensic evidence in cases of unidentified remains, even when initial investigative efforts are unsuccessful. Advances in DNA technology have enabled scientists to extract and analyze genetic material from evidence that previously yielded no results.