Skeletal Remains Found on Washington Beach Identified After Nearly 20 Years
If you’ve ever wondered how old cold cases are solved in the age of genetic science, here’s a remarkable story that threads decades of mystery, family heartbreak, and cutting-edge DNA technology.
A set of skeletal remains that was discovered on a Washington beach in 2006 has now been positively linked to a missing Oregon man who once led his community, nearly 20 years after he vanished without a trace.
A Name at Last for a John Doe
For years, officials referred to the unidentified remains as the Grays Harbor County John Doe cold case. The remains were found during what is now known as the Taholah, Washington beach identification, on the shoreline near the Quinault Indian Reservation along the northern coast of the state.
At the time, investigators could only estimate that the remains belonged to an adult man who was roughly 5’9” tall.
On January 13, 2026, authorities and a private forensic lab announced that the mystery had been solved.
The remains have been identified as Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher, a former mayor of Fossil, Oregon, who disappeared in September 2006 after a crabbing trip in Oregon’s Tillamook Bay.
His identification means a long-missing local leader is finally known again, with the former Oregon mayor officially identified after decades of uncertainty.
How DNA Helped Crack the Case
The case turned when new tools created a true cold case DNA breakthrough, changing what investigators thought was possible.
In 2025, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office submitted the long-unsolved evidence to Othram forensic genetic genealogy specialists in Texas.
Scientists at Othram were able to extract DNA from the decades-old remains. Using advanced genome sequencing and genetic genealogy methods, they built a unique DNA profile and compared it with samples from potential relatives.
That match led investigators directly to the family of Ed Asher and confirmed his identity. That success marked the 43rd case in Washington State solved using this technology.
Funding for the genetic testing came with support from state officials, including Attorney General Nick Brown, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, and the state legislature, to help cover the research needed to permanently close the case.
Who Was Ed Asher?
Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher was born on April 2, 1934, in Salem, Oregon, and raised in Astoria. After moving to Fossil, Oregon in 1952, he worked as a lineman for the local telephone company until he retired in 1995.
In 1965, he also opened Asher’s Variety Store, a community staple for years. Asher was active in local affairs, serving a term as mayor and volunteering as a fireman and ambulance driver.
In 2006, he was declared dead after he didn’t return home from his crabbing trip in Tillamook Bay, where officials presumed he had drowned. At the time of his disappearance, Ed left behind a large family filled with children, stepchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
The identification of his remains brings long-awaited closure for relatives who lived with uncertainty for nearly two decades.
Tide of Closure for a Cold Case
What was once a nameless set of remains on a remote stretch of the Pacific coast has now been returned to identity and history. The identification of Ed Asher is a reminder of how far forensic science has come and how families can finally get answers, even decades after loss.
Cases like this also underline how genetic genealogy continues to change the face of investigations and give names back to people once lost to time.
As science keeps moving forward, more cold cases may finally be solved, giving families the peace they’ve waited so long to find.
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