Mo. Rev. Stat. § 545.790: Cause continued, when.

If any person indicted for a criminal offense abscond or flee from justice, or cannot be found to be served with process, or, being let to bail, shall not appear according to the condition of the recognizance, the cause may be continued from term to term, without issuing process on the indictment; and such process may be issued at any time on the application of the prosecuting attorney.