Skeletal Remains Identified as Missing Former Mayor

The skeletal remains that appeared on a beach in Washington nearly two decades ago have been confirmed to belong to Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher, a former mayor from Oregon who disappeared during a crab fishing expedition in 2006.

Forensic experts at Osram, a genetic genealogy institute based in Texas, successfully identified the remains, as detailed in a recent announcement. Asher, who was 72 at the time, went missing on September 5, 2006, while crabbing in Tillamook Bay.

Back then, an Astorian report indicated that Asher was supposed to leave from Garibaldi’s Old Mill Marina at 10 a.m. and was expected back by 3 p.m. When he didn’t return, his wife notified the Oregon State Police. The Coast Guard initiated a search effort from Astoria Air Base, deploying various boats and helicopters. They located his 21-foot boat, which was left running with a live crab onboard, about half a mile from the marina. However, despite retrieving two of his three buoys, no life jacket was found.

Interestingly, his wife mentioned that he typically didn’t wear one and could not swim. Authorities inferred that he likely fell overboard, and after an extensive 11-hour search, the Coast Guard suspended their efforts.

Two months later, skeletal remains were found on a beach in Taholah, a village located within the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County. Initial investigations revealed that the deceased was a male, aged between 20 and 60 years, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing between 170 and 180 pounds. Unfortunately, these remains could not be identified at the time, leading to the label “Grays Harbor County John Doe.”

The case remained dormant until 2025 when forensic evidence was submitted to Osram by the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office and the King County Medical Examiner. Using advanced DNA sequencing technology, scientists created a genetic profile and linked it to a sample from one of Asher’s potential relatives.

Asher had served as the mayor of Fossil, Oregon, and had a career as a lineman at the Fossil Telephone Company until his retirement in 1995. He also operated Asher’s Variety Store, along with volunteering as a firefighter and ambulance driver.

Tragically, his wife, Helen, passed away in 2018 at the age of 85, never knowing that her husband’s remains had been recovered.