Skeletal remains discovered on a Washington state beach in 2006 have been positively identified as **Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher**, the former mayor of **Fossil, Oregon**, who was presumed drowned earlier that year. **Asher**, 72, vanished in September 2006 while fishing in **Tillamook Bay**. The **U.S. Coast Guard** suspended their search quickly after his disappearance, concluding he had likely drowned since he did not wear a life jacket and reportedly could not swim. The remains were discovered two months later along the shoreline of **Taholah**, on the **Quinault Indian Reservation**, approximately 185 miles north of the bay.

For nearly two decades, the unidentified remains were listed in the **National Missing and Unidentified Persons System** as **Grays Harbor County John Doe**. The mystery was finally resolved in 2025 when forensic evidence was submitted to **Othram**, a **Texas**-based genetic genealogy firm specializing in unknown remains. The firm developed a comprehensive DNA profile and used a sample from a relative to confirm **Asher’s** identity, resolving the long-standing cold case and confirming the initial presumption of drowning. **Asher** was a highly regarded figure in his community, having served roles including a lineman for nearly 50 years, a variety store owner, a volunteer firefighter, and briefly, mayor of **Fossil**. His wife, **Helen Asher**, who died in 2018, described the loss as leaving “a large hole in Helen’s heart.”