Skeletal remains found on WA beach identified as former Oregon mayor

Nearly two decades after skeletal remains washed ashore on a Washington beach, the remains have been identified as Clarence Edwin Asher, a former Oregon mayor.

Asher was briefly the mayor of Fossil, Oregon for an unspecified period of time, in addition to working as a lineman technician for the Fossil Telephone Company. In 1965, he opened Asher’s Variety Store.

“As past mayor of Fossil, Ed also volunteered as a local fireman and ambulance driver, was active on the ambulance board, museum board, Wheeler County Planning Commission, and Columbia Basin Electric Co-op,” his obituary read on Oregon Live.

Asher was pronounced dead in September 2006 after going missing while crabbing in Tillamook Bay. He was 72 years old.

Two months later, skeletal remains were discovered on a beach in Taholah within the Quinault Indian Reservation.

While the remains could not be identified at the time, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram, a Texas-based company that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy, last year. According to Othram, scientists developed a DNA extract and used forensic-grade genome sequencing to create a comprehensive DNA profile.

“Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement,” Othram stated via DNASolves. “Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, which led investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Clarence Edwin ‘Ed’ Asher.”

The Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office assisted Othram in its discovery.

Asher’s remains was the 43rd case Othram has solved in the state of Washington.

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