Police investigate possible link between gay porn star 'cannibal killer' Luka Rocco Magnotta and body parts under Hollywood sign

Police investigating the discovery of body parts under the Hollywood sign have contacted Montreal authorities about a possible connection to a gay porn actor who stands accused of murder, cannibalism and dismemberment.

The Los Angeles police department is investigating the possibility that Luka Rocco Magnotta, who was the subject of an international manhunt, was involved in a gruesome murder and decapitation where the victim's hands and head were placed near the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.

The grisly discover of the body parts of retired airline worker Hervey Medellin was made by a woman walking her dog near the landmark in January.

Investigators says that it is unlikely that 29-year-old Magnotta, who was arrested in Germany this week, was involved in the Los Angeles murder case but are investigating his whereabouts at the time of the killing.

Los Angeles Police Commander Andrew Smith said yesterday: "The bottom line is that we don't think these two cases are related but we're looking into it," Smith said. "Obviously we're comparing notes with (Canadian authorities) at this time."

Smith said initial investigations appeared to show that Magnotta was not in Los Angeles in late December, when the murder took place.

However the case is made more complicated by the fact that Magnotta is known to have used a number of aliases.

Smith also suggested there were "dissimilarities" between the crimes, but did not elaborate.

Following the murder of 66-year-old Hervey Coronado Medellin, an ex-employee of Mexicana Airlines, the foothills near the 4,200 acre Griffith Park in the heart of Los Angeles were searched.

Despite the area being combed a torso was never discovered.

Detectives at the time interviewed a range of potential witnesses, including a security guard for Hollywood star Brad Pitt.

Magnotta was arrested in Germany earlier this week in an internet cafe in Berlin. He was reportedly looking at media coverage of his crimes at the time of his arrest.

Interpol had issued a notification in 190 countries to alert authorities to be on the look-out for Magnotta.

Magnotta is accused of killing Jun Lin, a 32-year-old Chinese student with a pick axe, before dismembering his body and posting a video of the crime on the internet.

Police in Montreal said the video appeared to show Magnotta cannibalising parts of Lin's body.

The suspect is also thought to have then posted parts of the victim's body to political parties in Ottawa, the Canadian capital.

Police say a hand and foot sent to schools in Vancouver this week may also be linked to the crime. The head of the victim is still missing.