I'm against the death penalty, of course, but let's see if that is actually on the table or not. The headline is a bit sensationalist when all we have for now is speculation regarding his legal punishments.
What he did was of little scientific value. HIV can be dealt with in better ways, there was no new knowledge gained and there could even be many unforeseen negative consequences. Scientists around the world rightfully condemned what he did and I don't think "playing god" is the big concern here but his disregard for following ethical considerations and scientific institutions.