Conspiracy Podcaster Sentenced to Life for Girlfriend's Murder

A conspiracy theorist podcaster who stabbed his girlfriend to death with a 25-centimetre long dagger in her suburban Perth home has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years.

WARNING: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.

Tobias Marcus Nuttall was 32 when he stabbed Alisha Lauren Hendren-Krippner, 30, multiple times in her Bassendean home in August last year.

Justice Amanda Forrester said Nuttall had attacked her in a "vicious, uncontrolled and completely disproportionate manner" and there was no excuse for what he had done.

She said general deterrence was important because too many women were being killed by men who lost control of themselves and lashed out.

Nuttall called Triple Zero and told emergency services he had stabbed Ms Hendren-Krippner, who later died in hospital.

Police found the 25-centimetre long bloodstained dagger at the scene.

The Supreme Court heard "no explanation was provided" to police by Nuttall, who later claimed he was "coming down" off methylamphetamine at the time of the killing.

He pleaded guilty to murder earlier this year.

Messages to father

The prosecutor told the court that on the day of the murder, Nuttall and Ms Hendren-Krippner had flown back to Perth from Sydney.

At Perth airport, Nuttall sent messages to his father, claiming he had "encountered narcissism at a level that is difficult to fathom".

He also said in the messages that he was in a "fairly evil situation" and wanted to talk, telling his father he loved him.

Ms Hendren-Krippner's parents provided victim impact statements referring to the pain and ongoing sadness of their loss.

"The silence now is unbearable," Kelvin Krippner said in his statement.

Conspiracy podcaster

At the time of the murder, Nuttall was a co-host of an online podcast self-branded as a deep dive "into the realms of conspiracy, the occult, magic, spirituality and everything clandestine".

"As two inquisitive minds on a quest for truth, they pull back the curtains of the mundane to reveal a world bubbling with mysteries, hidden agendas, and esoteric knowledge," the podcast description read.

Previous podcast episodes covered topics including cults, satanic rituals, demonic possession, the JFK files, Kanye West, extraterrestrial connections, and the Pyramids of Giza.

A few days after Nuttall was arrested, his co-host released an episode without him, saying "the podcast is not going to move forward any longer with Toby".

The co-host acknowledged Nuttall had been charged with "a very, very serious offence over in Perth".

The podcast is still active and publishing episodes without Nuttall.

'I feel vile'

Defence lawyer Simon Watters told the court Nuttall had read the victim impact statements and felt a tremendous sense of guilt.

Mr Watters said his client's words were "I feel vile, I feel regret."

Justice Forrester said it was likely Nuttall and Ms Hendren-Krippner had used drugs the night before the murder.

She said Nuttall claimed that Ms Hendren-Krippner had "instigated" the fatal confrontation, but his plea of guilty to murder showed he was not claiming self-defence.

The court heard he had claimed to have "wrestled her to the ground" and thought he stabbed her three times.

Couple were separating

Nuttall, who was born in WA, had been abused by a teacher when he was at school, at the age of nine, the court heard.

While working at a service station in New South Wales, he was run over by a vehicle and suffered a back injury that resulted in ongoing pain and PTSD.

Nuttall returned to WA in 2025 and started a postgraduate teaching course and a podcast, and met Ms Hendren-Krippner.

Justice Forrester said the couple were in the process of breaking up in August last year.

She detailed Nuttall's drug history, describing his amphetamine use as "severe".

References provided to the court on his behalf described him as "intelligent, curious, kind and loving".

Nuttall had no prior criminal record.

He has to serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars, backdated to August, before being eligible for parole.

'Unbearable, violent tragedy'

Speaking outside court, Ms Hendren-Krippner's cousin Amber Tassone called for more action to stop domestic violence.

"Domestic violence continues to devastate families and communities across Australia," Ms Tassone said.

"Every woman deserves to feel safe in our own home and relationships, and we must do more to raise awareness for domestic violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

"Alisha was more than a statistic, she was just a girl with aspirations, dreams, interests, friends and family.

"We will never be able to overcome this unbearable and violent tragedy but we owe it to women in Australia to support other women, raise awareness for domestic violence and give a voice to survivors and victims."