Grays Harbor County, Washington – Skeletal remains that washed ashore on a Washington beach nearly two decades ago have been identified as those of a former Oregon mayor who disappeared in 2006, bringing closure to a long-running mystery through the use of forensic genetic genealogy. The identification was confirmed this week by the Grays Harbor County coroner and a private genealogy lab, as first reported by NBC News.
Former Mayor Disappeared While Crabbing in Oregon
The remains were identified as Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher, a former mayor of Fossil, Oregon. Asher vanished on Sept. 5, 2006, while crabbing in Tillamook Bay along Oregon’s northwest coast. Authorities at the time believed he had drowned, and he was legally declared dead later that year.
Remains Discovered Months Later in Washington
In November 2006, skeletal remains were discovered on a beach in Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The location is roughly 124 miles north of Tillamook Bay.
Local sheriff’s deputies and the coroner’s office responded to the scene and recovered the remains. Investigators determined they belonged to an adult male estimated to be between 20 and 60 years old, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing between 170 and 180 pounds. Despite the examination, the man’s identity could not be established at the time.
The unidentified individual became known as “Grays Harbor County John Doe (2006).”
Breakthrough Using Genetic Genealogy
Last year, the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office, working with the King County Medical Examiner, submitted forensic evidence to Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy laboratory, in hopes of finally identifying John Doe.
Scientists used advanced genome sequencing to create a DNA profile, then applied genetic genealogy techniques to search for potential relatives. Investigators were able to identify possible family connections, collect reference DNA samples, and compare them to the profile generated from the remains.
That process ultimately led to a positive identification: the remains belonged to Clarence Edwin Asher, born April 2, 1934. He was 72 years old at the time of his death.
Life and Service in Fossil, Oregon
According to his obituary, Asher was born in Salem, Oregon, and raised in Astoria. In 1952, he moved to Fossil, where he worked as a lineman technician for the Fossil Telephone Company until retiring in 1995.
He also owned and operated Asher’s Variety Store, which he opened in 1965. Asher was known for his love of antique cars, fishing, and boating, and he was deeply involved in his community.
In addition to serving as mayor, he volunteered as a local fireman and ambulance driver. He is survived by his wife of more than 20 years, along with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Genetic Genealogy Solving Cold Cases
Officials say the case highlights how forensic genetic genealogy has become an increasingly powerful tool in solving decades-old mysteries. In recent years, the technology has helped identify unknown victims and suspects in cold cases that once seemed unsolvable.
Authorities have not indicated that foul play was involved in Asher’s death, and the original presumption that he drowned while crabbing remains unchanged.
