Buff and busted
Nabbed in attempted slay, he says he was sex predator’s vic
California personal trainer Geoffrey Tracy flew crosscountry chasing success — only to reach Manhattan and land behind bars.
The ripped bodybuilder stood silently Wednesday in a Manhattan courtroom on charges of stabbing a man 16 times with a kitchen knife in the neck and torso, with the defendant’s lawyers insisting Tracy was defending himself from a sexual predator.
Tracy attacked Gregory Kanczes, 50, after the older man repeatedly tried to drug and sexually assault the hunky 25-year-old at his W. 49th St apartment, his lawyer claimed. Tracy, though promised glitzy accommodations by friends of Kanczes, instead found himself sharing the residence with his new acquaintance.
“A naive young man from California ... fell into the hands of a savvy, manipulative person,” insisted defense attorney Thomas Kenniff. “He was lured to New York by associates of the purported victim in this case, who promised him a glamour existence here … if he agreed to come to New York and work in a male strip club.”
Tracy was held on $250,000 cash bail or $500,000 bond in Manhattan Criminal Court, where his attorneys insisted their client was not only bamboozled but held against his will.
“We believe the incident was prompted by the actions of the purported victim in this case in attempting to sexually assault Mr. Tracy and unlawfully imprison him," said Kenniff. “At the end of the day, we believe that the victim here is actually Mr. Tracy.”
Normand La Chance, Kanczes’ ex-boyfriend of 12 years, called the defense portrayal of the victim unfair.
“This guy had issues,” said La Chance, 48, of San Francisco, about Tracy. “If you’re stabbing someone 15 times, especially in the neck 15 times, you have problems. … Something bad went down. I’ll bet you (Tracy) was on drugs. He’s not some pristine guy.”
Tracy is accused of carving up Kanczes as they fought inside the older man’s second-floor apartment shortly before 5 a.m. on Tuesday, authorities said.
He was arrested about seven hours later on charges of attempted murder and assault with intent to cause serious injury. Kanczes, with neck, chest, shoulder and rib wounds, remained in very critical condition Wednesday at Bellevue Hospital.
The defendant, in a red shirt, sandals and white socks, stood mutely during the hearing. Tracy looked down and nodded in agreement when his lawyer described him as the real victim.
The violent showdown came after pals of Kanczes spotted Tracy’s Instagram account with photos of his supertoned physique and invited him to Manhattan, painting a rosy picture of easy money working as a dancer.
Once here, Tracy was put up in Kanczes’ apartment rather than his own place — and the promised good times never started rolling at all.
“He was subject to very, very bizarre behavior by (Kanczes), as well as multiple attempts to sexually assault him,” said Kenniff. “(Kanczes) sexually assaulted my client when he was asleep. My client was very disturbed by that.”
Things turned violent when Tracy, a San Jose State University grad with no prior arrests, found Kanczes blocking his way out of the apartment in the middle of the night, said Kenniff.
The Manhattan man warned Tracy “that he had a gun, that he has the means to cut off his Wi-Fi and his contact with the world,” said Kenniff.
The two scuffled, with things escalating until Kanczes was perforated repeatedly by Tracy’s blade, the defense attorney said.
Tracy suffered a fractured finger in fighting for his freedom, his lawyer said.
“I heard a lot of yelling and banging,” said one neighbor, who also saw bloodstains in the hallway. “Then I heard someone run past my door.”