DNA breakthrough identifies 2006 Grays Harbor John Doe as Ed Asher

Officials confirmed that skeletal remains found on a Taholah beach in November 2006 have been identified as Clarence Edwin "Ed" Asher, ending a nearly two-decade mystery around the case known as Grays Harbor County John Doe (2006).

The remains were discovered on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County. Initial investigators from the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office and the Grays Harbor County Coroner's Office determined the decedent was an adult male, likely between 20 and 60 years old or older, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 170 to 180 pounds. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as UP139985 but remained unresolved until this year.

In 2025 the Grays Harbor County Coroner's Office, working with the King County Medical Examiner, submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, to determine if advanced testing could produce usable DNA. Othram scientists developed a DNA extract and applied forensic-grade genome sequencing to build a comprehensive profile. Their in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used that profile to generate investigative leads that returned to law enforcement.

Follow-up work based on those leads identified potential relatives. Reference DNA samples collected from a family member were compared to the John Doe profile, resulting in a positive identification. Clarence Edwin "Ed" Asher was born April 2, 1934, and was declared legally dead in 2006 after being presumed drowned while crabbing in Tillamook Bay on Sept. 5, 2006. He was 72 at the time of his death.

A lifelong Oregon resident, Asher opened Asher's Variety Store in Fossil, Oregon, in 1965 and worked as a lineman for the Fossil Telephone Company before retiring in 1995. He also served as mayor of Fossil. The identification restores his name to official records and offers long-awaited clarity for relatives and the communities he lived in.

State support played a crucial role in enabling this outcome. Critical funding for forensic genetic genealogy testing in this case came from Governor Jay Inslee, Attorney General Nick Brown, and the Washington State Legislature. This identification is the 43rd publicly reported case in Washington solved using technology developed by Othram.

For community members and families of the missing, the case underscores the practical power of modern genetic tools and sustained public funding. Verify NamUs entries and stay in contact with your local coroner or law enforcement if you believe you have a potential family match. As forensic genetic genealogy continues to advance, more cold cases may be solved and more families can expect answers where there were once only questions.