Los Angeles police are investigating whether the body of a young woman found stabbed in the neck 150 times in 1969 is connected to the Manson family killings.

Police used DNA in December to identify the remains after 46 years as those of Reet Jurvetson, a 19-year-old Canadian.

Her sister had recognised an online photo of the body that was named by a coroner as Jane Doe No. 59.

Investigators spoke to Charles Manson about the woman a few months ago at the California prison where he is serving nine life sentences.

But the interview turned up no new information, said Detective Luis Rivera.

Jurvetson's body was found on November 16th 1969 by a birdwatcher in dense brush off Mulholland Drive. She did not have identification.

Her remains turned up about six miles from the site of the most notorious Manson family killings, including the murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate, director Roman Polanski's wife.

Police say they cannot discount a link between Jurvetson's murder and the Manson family killings, even though they have not found any solid evidence.

"We don't rule anything out," Detective Rivera said. "Everything is on the table until proven otherwise".

Detective Rivera said the main lead they have is a man named "John" or "Jean," whom Jurvetson met in Toronto before flying to Los Angeles to see him in the summer of 1969.

Jurvetson's sister, Anne Jurvetson, said in a statement released through police that her free-spirited and naive sister moved to Los Angeles after becoming smitten with "John".

Anne Jurvetson (73) said Reet sent her family a postcard saying she had found an apartment and was happy. But they never heard from her again.

Her parents never reported her missing because "they thought that she was just living her life somewhere", Anne Jurvetson said.