Suggestion:
Offer a 18.5k BTC bounty for whoever releases a copy of the database.
The database isn't worth 18.5k.
No, it is actually worth much more than that, since quite a few people will be suing Bitcoinica if their balance does not satisfy them.
You better negotiate a good deal with the hacker, or you are pretty sure to be made insolvent.
edit:
bulanula, there are ways to anonymously release the database along with a Bitcoin address.