non est inventus; non est Not to be found. These are the words that the sheriff writes on a writ when the defendant is not to be found in his bailiwick (area of legal responsibility). Found on http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/1408/
the returning of a sheriff 's writ when the person to be arrested or served with it cannot be found in the sheriff 's jurisdiction. Found on https://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/non-est