Skeleton That Washed Ashore Decades Ago Finally Identified As Missing Oregon Mayor

Skeletal remains that washed up on a Washington beach nearly two decades ago belong to a former Oregon mayor who vanished during a crabbing trip in 2006.

Forensic scientists at Othram, a Texas-based genetic genealogy lab, positively identified the remains as Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher, according to a press release from the company. Asher was 72-years-old when he disappeared on Sept. 5, 2006, while crabbing in Tillamook Bay along the Oregon coast.

The Astorian reported at the time that Asher left Garibaldi’s Old Mill marina around 10 a.m. and planned to return by 3 p.m. His wife contacted Oregon State Police that evening when he failed to come home. (RELATED: Skeletons Found In Ancient Well May Be Roman Soldiers From ‘Age Of Anarchy’)

The Coast Guard launched a search using utility boats, a motor lifeboat and helicopters from Air Station Astoria. Crews found his 21-foot boat idling about a half-mile from the marina with live crab still on board. They recovered two of his three buoys but found no life jacket, the outlet reported.

The Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office and King County Medical Examiner, working with Othram, have identified a 2006 John Doe as Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher. We thank Gov. Ferguson and AG Nick Brown for funding this case. #dnasolveshttps://t.co/0KHQgK1Ndz

— Othram Inc. (@othram) January 13, 2026

His wife told searchers he usually didn’t wear one and could not swim. Officials suspected he fell overboard, and the Coast Guard suspended its search after 11 hours.

Two months later, skeletal remains turned up on a beach in Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington, according to Newsweek. Investigators determined the remains belonged to a man between 20 and 60-years-old who stood about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed between 170 and 180 pounds.

They could not identify him, and he became known as “Grays Harbor County John Doe.”

The case sat dormant until 2025, when the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office and King County Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram, according to the lab. Scientists used advanced DNA sequencing to build a genetic profile and matched it to a sample from one of Asher’s suspected relatives.

Asher served as mayor of Fossil, Oregon, and worked as a lineman for the Fossil Telephone Company before retiring in 1995, according to his obituary. He also ran Asher’s Variety Store and volunteered as a fireman and ambulance driver.

His wife, Helen, died in 2018 at 85-years-old, never learning her husband’s remains had been found, Newsweek reported.