»NYC fitness model sentenced to eight years in prison for stabbing her roommate«
A burly fitness model who stabbed his roommate more than a dozen times in a fit of rage was sentenced to eight years behind prison Tuesday for the dramatic 2018 attack.
Geoffrey Tracy, 30, learnt his fate nearly four years after he rushed at his rental host Gregory Kanczes with a knife, leaving the then-50-year-old man covered in blood in his Hell’s Kitchen home.
“It is only by the grace of god that I survived your assault that nearly ended my life,” Kanczes said in a victim impact statement read aloud during the hearing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Justice Curtis Farber used cellphone footage of the Aug. 14, 2018 crime as he sentenced Tracy — who was convicted at trial of assault and attempted assault last month — saying he was concerned by the image of “a man literally having been assaulted by Mr. Tracy.”
“The video speaks for itself. It captures exactly what happened in all its anguish. It featured an unarmed man in his underwear being pursued at knife point out of his house,” the judge said.
Prosecutors initially wanted 10 years in state prison, in addition to five years supervised release, while the defense contended that five years detention was sufficient.
Tracy, of Gilroy, Calif., was eventually issued an eight year term on the assault conviction and a sentence of up to four years for attempted assault, to run consecutively.
“As far as sentencing goes, we were hoping the judge might sentence him the mandatory minimum of five years, but we were somewhat relieved that [the judge] went below what the people were recommending,” defense attorney Thomas A. Kenniff told The Post following the process.
The stabbing frenzy began just days after Tracy, aged 25, went to New York to dance at a strip club.
Prosecutors said the bodybuilder struck Kanczes 16 times with a knife after accusing him of searching through his stuff. Part of the incident was videotaped on Tracy’s cellphone.
Assistant District Attorney Courney Razner stated in court, “The evidence at trial demonstrated that the defendant took a knife from Mr. Kanczes’ kitchen, that he followed him out into the hallway of his apartment building, and that he ignored Mr. Kanczes’ repeated attempts to leave the situation.”
Kanczes sustained neck, shoulder, arm, chest, rib, and back injuries. Prosecutors asserted that a wound near his neck would have been deadly if it had been positioned a few centimeters closer to his artery.
In September of 2018, Tracy pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault after he fled the scene and discarded the knife.
The prosecutor noted Tracy’s suspected steroid use, stating that he gained money at the time of the attack by supplying performance-enhancing drugs.
“The reason I brought this up is because I believe it means we should take some of the assertions in these [character witness letters] with a grain of salt, as the defendant was obviously not forthcoming enough with those individuals for them to know how he was surviving during that time period,” she said.
Kanczes did not appear in court, and the prosecution delivered his victim impact statement.
“Your attack has left me with numerous scars, which have diminished my self-esteem and made me feel less attractive to those who might be interested in me,” the statement read. “I can no longer navigate the city with the same ease as before your onslaught. When I am in public, I feel like an easier target for crooks, and I must arrange my visits based on how long I believe I can move without experiencing pain or further harm.”
As a result of the trauma, Kanczes wrote that he suffers from flashbacks, anxiety, and insomnia.
Tracy was defended in court by his father, Thomas Tracy, his girlfriend, Shawley Henderson, and his employer, Alex Larson. Tracy appeared significantly less muscular in his khaki jail attire.
He struggled to hold back tears as he told the court, “I wish I could go back in time and avoid coming to New York altogether, but I understand that is not possible.”
“I am not a violent individual,” he added.
I had never been in a fistfight previous to the abnormality that occurred in 2018.”
In a statement issued after the sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised both the jury’s verdict and the sentence.
“Geoffrey Tracy viciously stabbed his unarmed rental host, who still suffers significant physical and emotional harm,” he added.
“While we will never be able to repair the pain and trauma caused by this act, I hope that the accountability resulting from today’s sentence will aid in the healing process. I appreciate the perseverance of my office’s prosecutors in pursuing this matter.”
»NYC fitness model sentenced to eight years in prison for stabbing her roommate«