Camilla Jessen
Authorities say the discovery closes one of the region’s oldest missing-person cases.
A mystery that lingered for nearly two decades has been resolved after advances in DNA science linked unidentified skeletal remains to a long-missing public official.
Authorities say the discovery closes one of the region’s oldest missing-person cases.
Clarence Edwin “Ed” Asher vanished on September 5, 2006, after heading out to crab in Tillamook Bay, Oregon.
Asher, who was 72 at the time, failed to return home by mid-afternoon.
His wife reported him missing to Oregon State Police, prompting an immediate search by the US Coast Guard. According to authorities, Asher had retired from work as a lineman technician for the Fossil Telephone Company and had previously served as mayor of Fossil.
Search and loss
The Coast Guard deployed boats and helicopters and later found Asher’s 21-foot vessel about half a mile from Garibaldi Marina. Live crab and two of his three buoys were on board, but no life jackets were found.
Family members told investigators Asher could not swim and rarely wore a life jacket. After 11 hours, the search was suspended and officials presumed he had drowned.
An obituary was published and a memorial service was held on October 14, 2006.
Unidentified remains
Two months later, skeletal remains washed ashore in Taholah, a village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office and County Coroner determined the remains belonged to an adult male, but could not establish an identity.
The case became known as Grays Harbor County John Doe.
For years, the remains went unidentified.
DNA breakthrough
Last year, evidence was sent by the Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office and the King County Medical Examiner to Othram, a forensic laboratory in Texas.
Scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to develop a detailed DNA profile. Genealogy experts then analyzed the data, leading to a match with Edwin Asher.
Officials credited public funding for the breakthrough.
“Critical funding to enable forensic genetic genealogy testing in this case was made possible by Governor Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and the Washington State Legislature,” those involved said.
Investigators encouraged others to contribute DNA to help solve cold cases. “Individuals who have taken a consumer DNA test can aid ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database,” they said.
The identification finally brings closure to a disappearance that spanned two decades.
Sources: Grays Harbor County Coroner’s Office, DNASolves, Kval
