Ulrich was last seen at his family's Westville, Oklahoma home on July 9, 1998. He has never been heard from again. Two weeks later, his 1987 Ford pickup truck with Oklahoma license plates numbered AIM 964 was found wrecked in a rural area near Coleman Road in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma. It had run into a tree. Witnesses saw a Caucasian male and two Caucasian females get out of the vehicle. They got a ride with a farmer to Weleetka, Oklahoma. The farmer was later interviewed by police and said the man he assisted didn't match Ulrich's description.

There is no evidence that Ulrich sold or loaned his truck to anyone after his disappearance, but there were no signs of foul play in the vehicle itself. Ulrich's family stated he had gotten involved with some unsavory people prior to his disappearance. They described him as a trusting, generous individual. Ulrich was a self-employed construction worker in 1998. His case remains unsolved.