A skeleton found on a beach in Washington state in 2006 has been confirmed as that of a former mayor who was believed to have drowned during a fishing trip in Oregon, according to a New York Post report.
Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher was presumed dead after he disappeared during a fishing trip in Tillamook Bay, a small bay along the Oregon coast. The Coast Guard launched a lengthy search that was called off on Sept. 6, 2006, just one day after Asher went missing, the report said, citing The Astorian.
Asher, the former mayor of Fossil, Oregon, was 72 when he disappeared. Authorities concluded he drowned after his wife informed them he was not wearing a life jacket and lacked the ability to swim, the report said.
In November 2006, skeletal remains were discovered on a beach in Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation about 185 miles north of Tillamook Bay.
The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office attempted to identify the remains, but were unable to find any meaningful clues. The remains were registered with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as Grays Harbor County John Doe and eventually buried along with other unsolved cases.
In 2025, forensic evidence from the case was sent to Othram, a Texas genetic genealogy firm specializing in missing persons cases. The company said it created a comprehensive DNA profile and, using a sample from a relative of Asher, was able to match the skeleton to the missing Fossil mayor.
Who is Edwin Asher?
Asher was a well-known local figure who dedicated his life to improving Fossil, the report said. He spent nearly 50 years as a dispatcher for the Fossil Telephone Company while also operating the Asher Variety Store, volunteering as a firefighter and ambulance driver, and serving briefly as the town’s mayor. He retired in 1995, the report said, citing his obituary.
About Asher’s wife Helena
Helen, Asher’s wife, died in 2018 aged 85 after a long battle with cancer. His sudden death left a “big hole in Helen’s heart” that motivated her to return to Condon, Oregon, where they were married in 1986, the report said, citing her obituary.
