At a Glance
- Oregon ex-mayor Edwin Asher vanished while crabbing in 2006 and was declared dead that year.
- November 2006 saw skeletal remains wash ashore 124 miles north in Washington; the man remained unidentified for nearly two decades.
- Advanced genetic genealogy matched the remains to Asher in 2023, closing the 17-year cold case.
- Why it matters: The breakthrough shows how DNA science can finally give families answers after years of uncertainty.
A 17-year-old John Doe case in Washington has been solved, revealing that the bones found on a remote beach are those of former Fossil, Oregon, mayor Edwin Asher, who disappeared during a 2006 crabbing trip.
The Disappearance
On September 5, 2006, Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher set out to crab in Tillamook Bay on Oregon’s northwest coast and never returned. Authorities presumed the 72-year-old had drowned and legally declared him dead later that year.
Asher had served as mayor of the small Wheeler County town and was known locally for running Asher’s Variety Store, a business he opened in 1965 after working as a lineman technician for the Fossil Telephone Company until retirement in 1995. His obituary notes he volunteered as a firefighter and ambulance driver, loved antique cars, fishing and boating, and was survived by his wife of more than two decades, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Discovery
About two months after Asher vanished, skeletal remains surfaced on the beach at Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington-roughly 124 miles north of Tillamook Bay. Deputies and the coroner collected the evidence, but the man was listed only as “Grays Harbor County John Doe (2006).”
Initial analysis estimated the deceased was a male between 20 and 60-plus years old, about 5-foot-9 and 170 to 180 pounds. Despite comparisons to missing-person reports at the time, no match emerged.
Genetic Breakthrough
In 2022 the Grays Harbor Coroner’s Office and the King County Medical Examiner shipped forensic material to Othram, a Texas-based forensic genetic genealogy laboratory. Scientists performed genome sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile and then ran a genetic genealogy search, generating new investigative leads.
- Investigators tracked possible relatives
- A family member provided a reference DNA sample
- Lab comparison confirmed the remains were Asher’s
The positive identification was publicly announced this week by the Grays Harbor County Coroner and Othram.
Life Remembered
Born in Salem on April 2, 1934, and raised in Astoria, Asher moved to Fossil in 1952. Community members recall his willingness to help neighbors and his passion for restoring vintage automobiles. City officials have not yet responded to a request for comment from News Of Los Angeles.
Rising Trend
Forensic genetic genealogy has become an increasingly common tool for cracking decades-old unidentified-remains cases. By combining high-resolution DNA testing with public genealogy databases, investigators can locate distant cousins and triangulate family trees to put names to the nameless.
Key Takeaways
- Advanced DNA work solved a 17-year Pacific Northwest mystery
- Former mayor Edwin Asher’s family now has definitive closure
- Technology continues to revive stalled cold cases nationwide
