Folks need to realise the laptop wasn't hacked, the shop owner did what he was asked to do by Hunter; recover and back up the data on it. Hunter just never came back for it or paid for it.

Hunter didn't return for the laptop, very likely after a period of time the shops t&c's it then becomes the "owner" of the hardware as it has now become an unpaid debt, similar to a mechanics lien. I'm making assumptions here, but I imagine the shop owner had ever legal right to the hardware and it's contents due to the unpaid debt.