JUDGE ORDERS RETRIAL FOR LANCASTER MAN CONVICTED IN SLAYING.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

A Lancaster man convicted of fatally shooting a clothing store chain executive in his bed was granted a new trial after a judge said prosecutors withheld evidence.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Michael Farrell threw out the conviction of Raymond Beltran Jr., a 25-year-old unemployed construction worker, who was convicted in July of murder in the January 1994 slaying of Steven Lee Stewart, a Miller's Outpost district manager.

``There were several letters sent by the (victim's) family to the DA that were never turned over to the defense,'' said defense attorney Mark Geragos. ``The letters had information about possible witnesses and leads regarding an alternate killer, the victim's roommate, Anthony Lopez.''

Geragos also said that the defense was never informed that investigators had destroyed evidence, including a bedspread from the victim's bed.

Beltran is scheduled to return to court April 18 for a pretrial hearing. Deputy District Attorney David Evans said that if the case can't be resolved then, a new trial date will be selected.

``There was some evidence that came out that (the judge) thinks should be included in trial and wasn't,'' Evans said. ``It was letters that I had that the defense didn't have access to. I don't think he made the right decision.''

During the trial, Geragos attempted to shift the blame to Lopez, Stewart's former roommate. Geragos put Lopez on the stand, but Lopez invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Immediately after the trial, Geragos said Farrell did not allow the defense to put forth evidence that Lopez and the victim fought over having Lopez's father, who was released from prison less than a month before the killing, come live with them.

Farrell also did not allow into the trial evidence that Lopez's father was convicted of stealing a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver, a gun similar to the murder weapon, Geragos had said.

Beltran was arrested four days after Stewart's death after acquaintances told investigators he had shown them credit cards bearing the victim's name and asked for help moving a big-screen television and other electronic gear out of a house, court records show.

Under questioning, they said, Beltran began sobbing and said he shot Stewart in anger after being sexually assaulted, court records show. They had met playing pool at a Lancaster bar, and Stewart invited him home, according to investigators' account of Beltran's interview.

Beltran said he intended to hurt but not kill him, court records show.

Stewart's body was discovered by co-workers the evening after his death in his two-story home in the 3200 block of Lantana Court. The co-workers checked on him after he failed to show up for work.

Prosecutors said the defense also claimed that Beltran fired at the victim in self-defense but somebody else inflicted the fatal gunshot wound.